CRICKET TEST SERIES: Strong lineup as South Africa’s batters look to make a statement against West Indies

South Africa take on West Indies in a two-match Test series in the Caribbean, and for the first time in years the Proteas’ batting lineup looks capable of putting big numbers on the board.

Proteas red-ball coach Shukri Conrad all but confirmed his side to take on West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in the Port of Spain, with Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi set to open the batting for the side.

It will be De Zorzi’s first time opening in Test cricket – despite it being his preferred position to bat at domestic level for Western Province in domestic cricket – having held down the No 3 position in each of his seven previous Test innings as former Test skipper Dean Elgar faced the new ball before he retired from international cricket at the start of the year.

At No 3 will be another newcomer in Tristan Stubbs, whom Conrad has publicly backed in the vital position for the foreseeable future.

Captain Temba Bavuma will come in at four — playing his first international match of the year after an injury-plagued start to the season.

David Bedingham, the international batting find of the year for South Africa, is poised to come in at No 5.

Read more: South Africa look to claim their first Test victory of the year in West Indies

Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder are jostling for the next position in the batting lineup, depending on conditions and whether the team needs an extra batter or an all-rounder.

And Kyle Verreynne will play as a wicketkeeper-batter.

 While lacking in experience in certain positions and possibly form due to the massive breaks in between Test series, the batting lineup is as strong as the side have had in recent years.

And it’s a batting lineup that is of Conrad’s choosing, as sole selector of the side.

Bavuma and Verreynne are the only remnants of the lineup Conrad inherited with Elgar, Sarel Erwee, Heinrich Klaasen, Khaya Zondo – who played against Australia at the start of 2023 in the last match before Conrad’s appointment – either completely out of the picture or retired from the format.

Leading batters

South Africa played a four-day warm-up series against the West Indies Championship XI in the build-up to the two-match Test series, and the core of the batting lineup all got runs and time in the middle.

Markram, Bavuma and Bedingham each notched half-centuries before retiring. Verreynne and Rickelton were also in the runs once the foundation was laid.

While South Africa’s Test batters’ preparation for the tour has mostly been training camps and practice matches, Bedingham hasn’t put his bat down since arriving on the international scene in December against India.

Bedingham has the highest Test average in the side with 49.57. He has of course only played four Test matches, but he has immediately looked like he belongs at the highest level with one century and two 50s to his name already.

The sweet strokemaker has been plying his trade for Durham in this year’s County Championship, where he leads Division One’s run-scoring list with 926 at an average of 71.23.

Markram’s last Test innings was his best in his 37-match Test career when he struck 106 off 103 balls in the Proteas’ 176 all out capitulation in the infamous Newlands New Years Test earlier this year. Consistency at this level has eluded the powerful batter, but the talent can never be denied.

For skipper Bavuma, his last Test knock was more than a year ago, when South Africa took on West Indies at home in March — after getting injured while fielding against India in the Boxing Day Test match.

It was, however, one of his finest in South African colours when he notched up his second Test century and highest score in the format, a brilliant 172.

“It feels like we’re starting over again and again,” Bavuma said in the build-up to the series, speaking about the lack of consecutive Test matches.

“We have spoken a lot about our philosophy for winning games, and (the schedule) is what it is. We are not the only team in this situation, we just need to make the best of it.”

Bavuma has also been the team’s most consistent batter in red-ball cricket over the past few seasons.

Youngsters chipping in

De Zorzi and Stubbs have both tasted Test cricket, but with limited success but their appetite for big runs has been scouted from domestic cricket.

Both batters failed to get going in the warm-up match, and were dismissed for under double figures.

But they are the most recent cricketers to have scored triple centuries in first-class cricket in the country, joining an elite list of only eight to have also achieved the feat, with De Zorzi having done it at the back end of 2022, and Stubbs last season.

Stubbs shot the lights out in domestic cricket this season with a statement performance, an undefeated 302 off 372 balls, having struck 37 fours and six maximums after batting for more than eight hours for the Warriors against KwaZulu-Natal Inland.

“Technique is obviously a big factor because you’re going to be facing the new ball the bulk of the time,” Conrad said about what he looks for from a No 3 batter.

“And he’s quite an imposing character, a big, strong, strapping boy, and I quite like that. I like the fact that at the top of the order there are quite imposing guys; guys who have got a good aura about them and strong body language.

“His psyche and his technique speak to someone who will do that job really well,” Conrad said about Stubbs. “We’ve got a good one for the future of South African cricket.”

While Conrad has clearly backed Stubbs, he has also said that De Zorzi is a leader for the future, with South Africa’s top five probably set for the remaining matches in the World Test Championship that concludes in June next year.

South Africa have relied on their bowlers to help compete against the toughest opponents, but the batting lineup is building steadily with its first task against the West Indies starting tomorrow. DM

The first ball will be bowled at 4pm.