Proteas bet Morkel is now fighting fit
• Selectors gamble as bowler returns from injury to face New Zealand in first Test in Dunedin
You could see it in Morné Morkel’s assurance as he walked out to the middle at University Oval in Dunedin on Monday‚ while Faf du Plessis confirmed it on Tuesday.
“Morné’s back into the mix‚” Du Plessis said.
That means SA will let fly with Morkel‚ Vernon Philander‚ Kagiso Rabada and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj in the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday. Their batting line-up remains unchanged.
Morkel has been plagued by a lingering back injury and played his last Test against England in January 2016.
Since then‚ and besides T20 stints in India and the Caribbean‚ he has played only six matches and only one of those was a first-class game.
But SA were willing to gamble on the beanpole bazooka coming good in Dunedin.
“If he’s not going to be able to play now, then we’ll never know if we don’t take that chance‚” Du Plessis said.
“I’ve said to him over the last six months‚ every time that he’s bowled in the nets‚ it felt to me like he was bowling at his best. And I’m talking about all the times I’ve faced him.
“It’s an opportunity we have to take and see where Morné is with his back. All the reports say it’s 100% fine‚ all the tests they’ve done. He’s bowled a lot of overs and seems pretty confident. He’s going to have to step out and we’ll see what he’s got for us.”
New Zealand will not name their team before the toss‚ but at least three of their likely top five — openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval and No 5 Henry Nicholls — bat left-handed.
Du Plessis said that was a key factor in Morkel winning selection ahead of Duanne Olivier‚ who took match figures of 5/57 on debut in SA’s most recent Test‚ against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers in January.
“It’s the angle that the ball comes out of his hand‚” Du Plessis said. “It’s almost pointing to [the left-hander’s] first slip so it always goes into right-handers and away from left-handers and bounce is a huge factor.
“He’s terrible [for righthanders] to face in the nets because you always feel like you’re going to get hit in the ribs. The opposite applies to lefties — it goes away and that angle he can create from around the wicket to get the ball to come in and move away is extremely hard to face.
“He’s fresh‚ he’s had a long time away from the game and he’s hungry.”
Whether Morkel gets the chance to sate himself immediately on Wednesday depends on the toss. Unlike in most countries‚ where captains who call correctly tend to bat first‚ in the past 22 Tests in New Zealand they have opted to field.
Du Plessis said he would follow the trend: “That tells a pretty good story; you’d have to be pretty brave to go against that.”
But there would seem to be little evidence that the tactic works. Teams who fielded first in those 22 Tests have won eight and lost seven with the other seven drawn.
The difference between batting and fielding first‚ then‚ has been close to negligible.
On current form‚ Kane Williamson will not have to think about what he will do if he wins the toss. “I don’t get ahead of myself with silly ideas like that‚” the home side’s captain said on Tuesday.
New Zealand have won the toss 17 times in matches across all formats since the start of 2016 and four times in 2017.
How many have they lost in that time? Thirty-five‚ nine of them in 2017./ Morné Morkel goes through his paces in the nets, with Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt keeping an eye on the South African paceman. The focus will be on returning Proteas limited-overs players when the Cobras host the Dolphins in a Momentum One Day Cup clash at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday.
The Cobras have been boosted by fast bowler Dane Paterson, while the Dolphins welcome back all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo and spinner Imran Tahir.
The two were in the SA squad that beat New Zealand in the recent limited-over series.
The competition is entering the crucial second round and the Dolphins would go top of the standings and put themselves in a good position for a semifinal spot if they beat the Cobras.
Looking ahead to the clash‚ Cobras captain Dane Piedt said Paterson returned to the team with boosted confidence.
“We will definitely be fielding three seam bowlers,” he said, giving insight into how the team is likely to line up.
“We must take care of lapses that undermine our effectiveness with bat or ball‚” he added.
“What we need in the last five games is to do the basics well and execute our skills.
“We require even more clinical performances from all the players.
“We have a very experienced unit who know what is needed to power the Cobras to a win.”
However‚ the Cobras have lost experienced fast bowler Vernon Philander to the Proteas Test squad.
For Dolphins coach Grant Morgan‚ the availability of Tahir, the top-ranked one-day international bowler, and rising star Phehlukwayo could not have come at a better time.
“It is great to have the likes of Andile and Imran back.
“They have been absolute world-beaters for the Proteas and it will be good to have them back in the mix.
“With them and Cameron Delport also back‚ it’s definitely one of the strongest squads we could assemble‚” said Morgan‚ who has lost spinner Keshav Maharaj to the Test squad.
Elsewhere‚ Titans coach Mark Boucher welcomes back batsman Farhaan Behardien and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for the remainder of the competition.
The Pretoria side travel to Kimberley to face the Knights at the Diamond Oval on Sunday.
On the other hand‚ the Titans have lost the services of fast bowler Morné Morkel and wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who has joined the Test side as cover for Quinton de Kock.
The Knights have lost the services of batsman all-rounder Theunis de Bruyn.
The Lions have been hit hard by the departures of key batsmen Temba Bavuma and Stephen Cook and fast bowler Duanne Olivier, who have linked up with the Test side in New Zealand.
Cobras vs Dolphins (Boland Park‚ Paarl)
Dolphins vs Warriors (Kingsmead‚ Durban); Lions vs Cobras (Senwes Park‚ Potchefstroom) (All matches 2pm)