Valuable batting practice for SA ‘A’ in Bengaluru
THE RUNS have kept on coming in Bengaluru, where the South Africa A side have started their short tour of India with a three-day match against an Indian Board President’s XI.
The side, captained by Dolphins skipper Khaya Zondo, won the toss and elected to bat, with Sarel Erwee (117) and Zubayr Hamza (104) helping themselves to centuries on the first day of the tour.
Erwee, whose stock continues to rise, shared an opening stand of 161 with Pieter Malan (54) at the top of the order, in very batsman-friendly conditions.
Erwee and Hamza both eventually retired to allow the rest of the middle-order some important time in the middle.
Zondo himself registered a half-century, ending on 67, while Rassie van der Dussen also had a workout with the lanky Lions batsman notching 39.
Senuran Muthusamy (31) Rudi Second (44 not out) were the last of the batsmen to get a run before Zondo declared the innings on 473 for three.
That healthy scoring rate was put into some perspective when the locals took strike at the notoriously firm M Chinnaswammy Stadium.
Sanjay Raswamy scorched 87 at the top of the order, and he received great support from Dhruv Shorey, the Chennai Super Kings product.
Shorey struck a composed 67 not out and will resume on the second day, having seen all the South African bowlers.
Zondo has the option of rotating all his players, with all 15 allowed time on the field.
He has used eight bowlers in short, sharp spells, and will likely do the same on the final day. Malusi Siboto and Shaun von Berg got the only two wickets to fall as the opposition flayed 201 in 45 overs.
The trip for the South Africa A side also consists of two four-day “Tests”, all in Bengaluru, and a lot of players have a chance to make a claim for higher honours, especially those with bat in hand.
Batting on the subcontinent has proved a difficult task for the senior team and there appear to be holes that could be filled by those who make an impression on this trip.
South Africa’s next major tour to the subcontinent is to India in 2019, so players on the current trip have an inside track to impress a selection panel that will be monitoring the situation from across the way in Sri Lanka.