Back to drawing board
HEINZ SCHENK
JOHANNESBURG - On the 1994 England tour, the Proteas’ first post-isolation trip to the United Kingdom, Fanie de Villiers bowled a splendid spell during the first Test at Lord’s, exemplified by the dismissal of Graham Gooch where he bowled him numerous away-swingers before trapping him in front with a straight one.
De Villiers’ haul of three for 28 would eventually prove one of the catalysts to England slumping to 99 all out in their second innings and a massive 356-run loss.
Fifteen years later, unfortunately, such skilful prowess proved very much beyond the Proteas attack as Paul Collingwood and Jonathan Trott gorged on a toothless bowling effort that led to a seven-wicket win in Centurion on Sunday.
Friday’s third one-day international at Newlands is a must-win for the hosts as a loss will mean they can’t win the five-match series after losing out on the Wanderers fixture due to rain. The former Northern Transvaal seamer is adamant that Mickey Arthur and his charges need to find answers expediently.
“It really is back to the drawing board for the national team,” De Villiers told The Citizen yesterday.
“Sunday’s loss has put huge pressure on the team and they’ll need to identify what is going wrong.”
While the fast bowler, who took 123 wickets in just 18 Tests between 1993 and 1998, raised concerns over the team’s bowling unit, he believed that the batsmen were to blame for Sunday’s defeat.
“By comparing our total at the halfway stage and the 250/9 we finally got, I instantly predicted that we would lose by at least six wickets, which almost proved correct.
“Our batsmen played way too conservatively on that wicket and I can tell you from playing all those years (at Centurion) that the way the grass was rolled into the surface should’ve meant a much more aggressive approach,” he added.
He highlighted South Africa’s poor utilisation of the power plays and agreed with Graeme Smith’s earlier notion that England’s fifth-bowling option of Trott got off way too lightly.
“Although I’m not his biggest fan I’m quite positive about the recall of Herschelle Gibbs as he is at least a player who’ll inject some urgency into the batting line-up,” he said.
The bowling unit wasn’t spared though and De Villiers believes that the weak links remain the two all-rounders, Albie Morkel and Ryan McLaren.
“Albie is a real concern. He’s lost a lot of his power levels in his bowling and looks like he’s trying to force things. When a bowler starts forcing his action he loses his line and length,” De Villiers said.
He also bemoaned the fact that McLaren has lost some of his pace.
“Two years ago when he was the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket he was much more dangerous and while he is helping the team, he’s not making a huge difference,” he added.
Morkel’s brother Morne, however, has been in excellent form for the Titans and De Villiers praised the selectors’ decision to include him yesterday.
“He’s got great potential and is a wicket-taking bowler. If McLaren was chosen for his bowling then I don’t think he’s better than (Morne) Morkel,” he said, adding that the left-armed talents of Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe shouldn’t be ignored.