Bowlers set up victory for SA U-19s
Speed Capital | SA sets the pace — and a fast one at that — with a wealth of talent just waiting to make an impact
SOUTH Africa under-19’s seamers left Pakistan under-19s in tatters in a very onesided first half of the World Cup final in Dubai yesterday. Kagiso Rabada was expected to be the main threat with his pace and bounce, but while he succeeded in asserting control, it was the medium-pace duo of Corbin Bosch and Justin Dill who ran through the top and middle order, nipping out half the side to keep Pakistan to 131.
The Pakistan batsmen kept the wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin and the slips busy, pushing and poking at deliveries they would rather have left alone. To South Africa’s credit, the bowling was disciplined and the ploy of making the batsmen play paid off. Rabada perhaps wasn’t as incisive as he would have liked because he resorted to the short stuff far too often and strayed down the leg side when bowling to the left-hand batsmen. Imam-ul-Haq and Sami Aslam were cautious but looked relatively comfortable, aware that they needed to set themselves up for the long haul. When Rabada got his line and length correct, though, he was in business. Imam pushed at one outside off and edged to the keeper Fortuin, who took the first of his six catches.
If Pakistan needed inspiration, they could have looked at clippings of the 2006 final against India, when they were bowled out for 109, yet won by 38 runs. — cricinfo
“HE’S tall, he’s mean, he’s black and he’s fast.” That’s according to Geoff Toyana. He’s Kagiso Rabada, and if the Lions coach has his way he’s going nowhere.
“We’ve got four (franchise first-class) games left this season and I think he’ll play in two of them,” Toyana said. “He’s been told he’s getting a contract — a full contract, not a junior contract.”
We get it, Geoff. You want to hang onto this one. Who wouldn’t.
Rabada has bowled up a storm for SA at the under-19 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. His 13 wickets at an average of 9.07 going into yesterday’s final between SA and Pakistan was a major reason in his team’s success. Rabada took six of the best in the semifinal against Australia including their entire top order.
“My plan was to stick to line and length and bowl fast,” said Rabada afterwards. Mission accomplished.
Toyana said he spoke to Rabada on Friday, and came away satisfied that “his feet are still on the ground”. Keeping them there will be the challenge, what with a Google search on the 18year-old’s name already yielding 34 500 hits.
Rabada has played a one-dayer and a T20 for Gauteng, but he has yet to make his first-class debut. He has risen through the provincial ranks from under-15 to under-17 to under-19 level, and has played one test and — before yesterday — 12 one-dayers for SA at under-19 level.
As the manager of the first XI at St Stithians, Barry Lambson has accompanied Rabada on much of that journey.
“He didn’t take that many wickets at school level, but he always had the scare factor,” Lambson said, and backed up his claim with a vivid example.
“We were playing against Noord-Kaap and one of their batsman was teeing off. Kagiso came on and bounced him — the ball went straight through the visor.
“The batsman ran down the pitch, dived at the bowler’s end, and shouted, ‘Concussed!’ He was taken off to hospital.”
As a respected umpire of several decades’ standing, Lambson has seen many young players come and go. Did Rabada have what it might take to make the grade?
“He has all the skills to be a fast bowler at the top level, but time will tell,” Lambson said. “Players get looked after at school level, but when they get out into the real world it can be a different story.”
Not that cricket is anything like the real world, but indications are that the Lions are mindful of easing Rabada into the game’s strange reality as
He has all the skills to be a fast bowler at the top level, but time will tell
well as they can.
Though he labelled Rabada “the next big thing after Quinton de Kock”, Toyana understood that, “Mfuneko Ngam (the oft-injured former test fast bowler) was pushed too quickly, and we all know what happened with Mfuneko. We need to be smart with this kid.”
Both Toyana and Lambson described Rabada as “laid-back” and both highlighted his batting ability. He augments his rightarm fast with left-handed batting that was good enough for him to be hoisted to No 5 and No 6 in the St Stithians batting order.
So much for the easy stuff. For Rabada to continue to be noticed he will have to stick out in a country where quality fast bowlers are hardly scarce.
The game’s uncomfortable relationship with race — only five black Africans have played test cricket for SA, and a few days ago Thami Tsolekile had his national contract cancelled without once having played for SA while he was on Cricket SA’s books — will doubtless get in the way of his career.
But without hope we are nothing. And that’s what Rabada is now: hope.