Faf beats boos to save SA

TO the sound of one hand clapping and the noise a tree makes – or does not make – when it falls unseen in a forest, we can now add the strangeness of the batsman who is booed when he scores a century.

Faf du Plessis was that batsmen in Adelaide yesterday, where his undefeated 118 dug South Africa out of a hole 117/5 deep on the first day of the third test against Australia.

The visitors recovered well enough to declare on 258/9, which would seem more than a few runs light were it not for the fact that the match is South Africa’s first in the brave new world of pink-ball, daynight test cricket.

Simply, no one has a clue how many runs make a decent total.

Just as the 32 255 who turned up yesterday did not know how to behave when Du Plessis reached his sixth test ton.

Nonsense. Of course they knew, and they would have done the right thing had Du Plessis not been convicted on Tuesday of ball-tampering.

But their booing, which was at its loudest when Du Plessis took guard, still caught him short.

“I was expecting a bit of hostility but not to that extent,” he said. “To be really honest, when I got to a hundred I wasn’t expecting to still get booed.

“So that was pretty disappointing. But I’m really proud. It was a big day for me to stand up as a captain and make sure I lead from the front. “I was extremely motivated.” And as the crowd filed out of Adelaide Oval, there was no more booing. There was only the burbling sound of something else – respect.

ý Cricket South Africa (CSA) said yesterday Du Plessis would appeal the International Cricket Council’s decision to find him guilty of ball tampering in the second test against Australia He was fined his full second-test match fee. “Faf has decided to appeal the match referee’s decision after he and his legal team studied the written reasons provided,” CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said.

“In his mind Faf is clear that he did not alter the condition of the ball nor did he intend to do so and that the match referee was not correct to find him guilty. He is understandably feeling aggrieved.

“CSA will support him to appeal the decision before an independent Judicial Commissioner as there are issues relating to fair and just process, interpretation of the rules, science and performance that need to be considered,” Lorgat said.

On the eve of the third test, Du Plessis, 32, had denied cheating and said he had been made a scapegoat. – Additional reporting by Reuters