Abbott and Co click together and devise plans fit for slow PE track

KYLE ABBOTT admits it’s almost “uncharted territory”. It’s the start of a home series and South Africa’s perennial “nearly man” is dining at the main table.

There’s no need to wait for the left-overs this summer with Abbott often the victim of only being thrown a game once the intensity of a series has been deflated or if one of the bigger boys breaks down with an injury.

It is a life Abbott had become accustomed to, but it was no doubt frustrating, especially for a bowler who proved his class and ability on Test debut with a nine-wicket haul against Pakistan back in 2013.

But having grabbed his chance with both hands in Australia recently when replacing the biggest of them all, Dale Steyn, Abbott has the comfort of starting in pole position against the Sri Lankans in the first Test on Monday here at St George’s Park.

“It is obviously nice to play some cricket. It’s my job at the end of the day. A bit (of) uncharted waters to be honest,” Abbott told the media at St George’s Park. “It’s great though, and if I can contribute to winning the series it will be wonderful. I am really looking forward to getting a bit of a run and I suppose it’s all in my own hands.”

Abbott certainly impressed the national selectors with his work Down Under when he claimed 13 wickets at just 14.84. Linda Zindi and Co have only picked a small squad of 13 players for the first two Tests with the obvious indication that they have the utmost faith in this current group of players and want them to go out there and express themselves.

For Abbott this simply means he will stick to his basic game plan that was so successful in Australia and, most importantly, complement fellow seamers Vernon Philan- der and Kagiso Rabada.

This could arguably be the most important aspect for the trio were brilliant as a collective, especially in Hobart where they dismissed the Aussies in fewer than 600 balls over the course of both innings. It was sustained pressure from all corners that was compared to the feats of the great West Indian bowling attacks of a previous generation, and a youthful Sri Lankan batting line-up will no doubt be placed firmly under the pump should it be replicated with such precision here in Port Elizabeth.

“I think the three of us have complemented each other so well, which is key. I think there is a fair bit of variation among us. We work incredibly well together. I am very simple when it comes to my bowling. Looking at what the other guy is doing at the other end. If we bowl well in partner- ships like we did last month we should be okay,” Abbott said of South Africa’s pace trio before explaining what plans they have in store for the islanders on this St George’s Park track.

“It’s obviously not as quick and bouncy as other places, but it’s definitely one where we always feel right in the game. We get to bowl wicket-to-wicket and bring some different dismissals into the game. We attack the stumps, the pads, straighter fields. Sometimes on bouncy tracks you get caught out in the channel and only really looking for the nick off, but on a wicket like this you’re really bringing in the bowled, lbw, caught mid-wicket and some scrappy dismissals sometimes.”

Abbott also said that “I don’t think anything is secure at this level unfortunately, or cricket in general. At the end of the day, we’ve still got to put in performances.”

He was obviously referring to himself and his personal performance within the team context, but it should also be a motto South Africa’s batting unit should adopt in this series.

They too have received the full support of the selectors, but there are players like openers Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar and middle-order batsman JP Duminy who need to repay that faith with a good consistent run of scores that will hopefully start this Boxing Day against what will no doubt be a determined Sri Lankan side.