Records beckon as Black Caps bamboozled

HE DOESN’T say much, but Vernon Philander can make the cricket ball talk. And the records beckon, already, as his gobsmacked South African teammates look on.

The 26-year-old, who skipper Graeme Smith likens to prolific Australian seamer Glenn Mcgrath, is poised to reach a test cricket milestone at the Basin Reserve that hasn’t been achieved for 116 years.

Philander’s 10-wicket haul in Hamilton, topped by his careerbest second innings figures of 6-44, further skyrocketed his remarkable test numbers to 45 wickets at an average of 13.60, from six matches.

Another

five

New

Zealand scalps in the third test, starting on Friday, and he’ll become the second fastest bowler to reach a test half-century.

Australian Charlie Turner’s record of six tests, set in 1888, is safe but Philander can draw level with England’s Tom Richardson who reached 50 wickets in his seventh test, in 1896.

Just two modern day bowlers feature on that record list, Australians Rodney Hogg (1979) and Terry Alderman (1981) who each reached a half century in their eighth tests.

Shane Bond (12 tests) was the quickest New Zealander to reach the milestone.

Smith continues to marvel at his Cape Town wonder, who’s reduced the world’s top-ranked test bowler, Dale Steyn, to a support act.

‘‘He obviously gets the ball to talk. There’s always something happening. He’s always in that area,’’ Smith said.

‘‘In my career the only person who’s sort of resembled that was maybe Glenn Mcgrath. He was always in that area of uncertainty and there was always something happening with the ball. He asks a lot of questions.

‘‘If it’s swinging a bit both ways then Vern’s always going to be right in there.’’

Smith quipped the world No 1 ranking may not be Steyn’s for much longer if Philander continues on his record-breaking path.

‘‘If he keeps going the way he is then he’ll get there pretty soon.’’

Philander debuted in November, in Cape Town, when Australia tumbled to 47 all out. In three of his six tests, he’s walked away with the man-of-the-match gong, as he did in Hamilton on Saturday.

Mcgrath and Shaun Pollock were his boyhood bowling idols. He’s similar to both, a stock delivery in the early 130kmh bracket but the ball can do strange things at the end of his nondescript runup.

The seam is presented like in a coaching manual, enabling swing and seam movement, either way. He has a sharper bouncer, and when reverse swing comes in, as it did on the abrasive surface on Saturday, he creates new terrors altogether.

‘‘It [pitch] was a bit slow up front. I’ve made sure that I strike with the new ball and then there was a bit of reverse with the older ball.’’ Philander said.

‘‘I’m always going to back my skills to get guys out when the ball does reverse,.’

Brendon Mccullum, who he trapped lbw late on day two, was his prized scalp from Hamilton.

And the New Zealanders will need to go back to school to find ways of countering him. It helps that Steyn and Morne Morkel are applying intense pressure at the other end, making them the most imposing pace attack in world cricket.

‘‘He reminds me a lot of [Mohammad] Asif. He’s not quick, but he’s quick enough to hurry you up. And he’s developing a very good international record; I think Steyn’s at one and he mustn’t be too far away. He’s someone that we’re going to have to play a lot better in Wellington,’’ Ross Taylor said.