Proteas in full bloom

ASETTLED and confident Proteas team will take to the field in the third and final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton tomorrow, looking to make sure they win the series and gain ground on the coveted Test ranking No 1 spot.

Faf du Plessis’s team are currently 14 points behind top-ranked India and two behind secondplaced Australia. Since the series loss to England last year, the Proteas have had to cope with the absence of talismanic captain AB de Villiers and the departures of Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw, yet they’ve still managed to win eight of their last 13 Tests, losing just two.

After De Villiers magnanimously stepped down as Test captain, Du Plessis has matured into a fine leader and the runs have followed too.

While the team has worked well as a unit and deserve accolades as a whole, there are some players who deserve a special mention, none more so than wicketkeeper and batsman Quinton de Kock who has averaged 56.70 in 12 Tests since the beginning of last year.

Dean Elgar has cemented his place at the top of the order, averaging 48.90 in his last 13 Tests.

KZN all-rounder Keshav Maharaj has done a magnificent job since his debut against Australia last year, averaging 23 with bat and ball. And 21-yearold Kagiso Rabada has displayed maturity beyond his years, leading the attack in the absence of Dale Steyn, picking up 56 wickets in his last 11 Tests.