Lookout, here comes Archer with speedballs!
SA’s batsmen face a torrent of difficulties when England arrive
● In recent years SA has become the Mecca of fast bowling because of the spicy surfaces, making these shores a favoured destination for pace merchants.
With England carrying a world-class fast bowling unit, especially with the ultra-rapid 24-year-old Jofra Archer in tow, SA’s wonky Test batting will again be in the spotlight.
Legendary Proteas speedster Allan Donald, who has seen the best and the worst of England’s bowlers at international and county level with Warwickshire, said Archer will be an all-round threat despite an underwhelming series on batting-friendly pitches in New Zealand.
Donald knows that England’s black fast bowlers tend to be very fast. He experienced the erratic but potent Devon Malcolm at his most rapid and best at The Oval in 1994 when Malcolm’s 9/57 destroyed SA.
“The chance to score against Malcolm was greater as compared to Archer. In New Zealand, Archer didn’t have a happy time with the ball. He still remains their go-toman to open up holes in the batting and it’ll be interesting to see him in SA and the kind of form he brings,” Donald said.
“New Zealand found a way to pounce on him and every time he came back into the attack, he went for runs. His pace was slightly down and I’m not sure what the reason was.”
Archer, who has 24 wickets in six Tests, may be the fastest of England’s experienced pace battery, but he’s not the only threat to SA’s undecided top order.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad have a combined 283 Tests and 1,046 scalps.
They’ve also found some success on previous SA tours.
However, they haven’t always been at their best when armed with a Kookaburra ball used in SA, New Zealand and Australia as compared to the more durable Dukes ball used in England.
Donald said SA’s top order could be ripe for the picking if they’re unable to see out the Kookaburra ball’s hardness and shine, which wears off quickly.
In recent Australian and New Zealand tours, England struggled to take wickets when the ball lost its shine.
“There’s no doubt that SA’s top order will be tested. England have James Anderson and Stuart Broad who are world class. There’s no better swing bowler in the world like Anderson when he’s in full flight.
“With the new ball, regardless of the fact
You want to give the respect he deserves, but not too much Allan Donald
Former Proteas bowler
that it’s a Kookaburra and SA’s fragile batting order, it’s going to be a hell of a test,” Donald said.
“When the Dukes ball doesn’t swing, England have ways of using the ball cross-seam to get variations. It didn’t work in New Zealand because of the true and low bounce of the pitches. Archer struggled in New Zealand but great bowlers find a way. I think Archer is one of those and SA will hope that he comes into the series under-par. An onsong Archer is a quality bowler, but England also have a quality bowling attack.”
How should Archer be dealt with? Donald said measured and intelligent aggression is the way as New Zealand showed the way. In three innings, Archer was economical (2.54 runs an over) but conceded 2/209 in his 82 overs.
SA had an unpleasant experience of Archer in the opening World Cup game. The Barbadian smacked Hashim Amla on the helmet and took 3/27 in seven overs in the 104-run win for the eventual champions.
“You want to give the respect he deserves, but not too much. SA will look to take him on, but that doesn’t mean swinging the willow. There needs to be smart and watchful batting against him. They will have seen enough of him after the World Cup and in
Test cricket to know what to expect,” Donald said.
“What New Zealand did very well was to show plenty of aggression against him. If he was slightly off-line, they dealt with him and they didn’t lose the courage of their attacking convictions when dealing with Archer when he came back for other spells.”