Nortje will use his local knowledge
ANRICH Nortje grew up watching cricket from the grassbanks of St George’s Park.
So, there are few that know the conditions expected for this week’s third Test here in Port Elizabeth against England better than the 26-year-old fast bowler from Uitenhage.
“They do say that the “easterly” is a bowling day. When it comes over the scoreboard it’s a bowling day. It is not always the case that it swings, but it has on occasion. It is generally not one thing that determines it. It is also the humidity and the wind direction. It is not just one factor that determines it,” Nortje said yesterday.
It’s not only Nortje’s knowledge of the overhead conditions that the Proteas will be relying on. Unlike up on the Highveld where the faster bowlers can get away with just banging it in short of a length to gain success, the pacemen need greater nous to achieve success on the east coast.
“Growing up here at St George’s Park has taught me to pitch the ball up. Up country you can get away from those ‘nice-looking’ lengths. You need to be a bit fuller here. I think pitching it up has helped me,” Nortje said.
“The square is quite green. It’s been quite green everywhere we’ve gone. We practised a few cross-seam deliveries in Cape Town. We didn’t quite get it to reverse, but hopefully we can get it here.”
Although Nortje will be relying on his skill mostly at St George’s Park, he will not lose his aggressive streak that has proved successful thus far in the series. He has been bowling consistently above 150km/h and rattled England’s senior batsmen such as Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
He is, though, planning a special reception for Jos Buttler after the England wicket-keeper’s verbal joust with Vernon Philander on the final day at Newlands.
Buttler has since apologised for abusing Philander, but Nortje still believes it could be the flame that ignites the Proteas.
“At this stage‚ any role I can do I’m happy with‚“he said about his role as the team’s new aggressor.
“Just to be playing is already a big honour for me. Whatever the team needs or wants‚ whether it’s investment or whether it’s striking‚ I’m happy to do that for now.
“Sometimes I do that role domestically as well‚ so it’s nothing different for me. It’s about what the team needs.
“I definitely think it gets one or two guys going but we haven’t really spoken about it.
“But‚ it definitely does get the blood flowing and once we identify a moment we’ll probably try and rev it up.”
Nortje is likely to remain part of a three-pronged pace attack that did duty at Newlands. It is unlikely that Dane Paterson will get a run at St George’s Park where left-arm Keshav Maharaj is expected to play a crucial role as the Test runs its course.