AB is under no illusions

AB de Villiers of South Africa during the South Africa training session at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on January 13, 2016 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

AB de Villiers of South Africa during the South Africa training session at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on January 13, 2016 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Published Jan 18, 2016

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After he had decimated South Africa at the Wanderers 11 years ago, Matthew Hoggard walked up to a group of South African friends with a sheepish grin on his mug. “Sorry,” he smiled, and hugged them. One of them was Barry Skjoldhammer, then the chairman of the Gauteng Cricket Board. The others were from the Pirates cricket club, where Hoggard spent some of his formative cricket years.

Hoggard played premier league cricket at Pirates and during a spell as a net bowler ahead of a match at the Wanderers, was noticed by Corrie van Zyl, then the coach of Free State. He moved to Bloemfontein. He learnt more. Then he went back home and before long was back in his second home putting South Africa to the sword.

It was a ferocious afternoon at the Wanderers by Hoggard on January 17, 2005, as he took five wickets after lunch, seven in total for 61 runs. He had AB de Villiers, then opening the batting for South Africa, out leg before (3). Then Jacques Rudolph was bowled (2). Jacques Kallis went the very next ball for a golden duck to put Hoggard on a hat-trick, but Boeta Dippenaar, who was in the commentary box for the three-day Test at the Wanderers last week, survived it. He was later caught by Giles off Hoggard (14). Boucher edged one behind for a seven-ball duck and then Hoggard caught Nicky Boje off his own bowling (18). Dale Steyn (8) was his last victim and the final stick of the match. Not forgetting that he had taken 5/144 in the first innings, including hitting Shaun Pollock at 140km/h on the helmet.

Cricinfo recalled some of the headlines in the English papers from that day: “Hoggy bashes the Boks” said the “The Sun” as the “Hogwarts Express served up some magic. He stomped the ground like Shrek and made the ball swerve like a demented boomerang.”

‘A hayrick-haired son of the soil with a heart of oak bowled England to a memorable victory,’ wrote Mike Selvey in The Guardian. ‘Hoggard is a country boy whose ploughman-plod has its roots in solitary dog walking out on the moors. A brief conversation on the eve of the game, a statement rather than a question, was revealing: ‘Your pitch then Hoggy.’ He just grinned and made that wristy two-fingered glove-puppet motion that fast bowlers like to make when suggesting seam movement. He knew that this was his time and he had the wherewithal to make it count.’ ”

South Africa were beaten by a country boy who became a Pirate in the big smoke of Joburg and then a first-class player in the farmer’s capital of Bloemfontein. England led 2-1 going into the final Test at Centurion. Graeme Smith, then captain, had some harsh words for his middle order. A series draw was still possible as they headed to Centurion for the final match. Rain made sure that would not happen as they lost the whole of the first day to rain. De Villiers got out on 92 in the first innings, which was followed by a batting collapse. “It was very disappointing,” he said 11 years ago this coming weekend. “People say I’m just a youngster and it doesn’t matter – I’ll get another chance – but I would have liked my hundred.” He got his ton, the first of his 21 thus far, in the second innings.

De Villiers was also was disappointed on Saturday at the Wanderers after Stuart Broad had done a Hoggard and decimated South Africa when the Test was on a knife-edge. He spoke of the youngsters in his team, and how he believed his new job as captain was to turn them into hardened Test players. He had not committed to the captaincy before this Test, which led to speculation he may give up the longer form of the game. His vehement denial he would walk away from the five-day game also came on Saturday. “We are not the same side any more (from a few years ago). We have lots of different players... our form of late has been pretty poor. But this is the team I believe in. It’s a big responsibility. I would love to walk away from the game knowing I have had a bit in helping them develop. I’d like to be captain. I was never thinking of leaving Test cricket, not at all…I want to be captain.”

South Africa recovered from that 2005 smashing by Hoggard, and from 2008 became the dominant force in Test cricket. De Villiers, who said there is still much to play for at SuperSport Park this weekend. There is the future of South African Test cricket to play for. It may take a little time. - The Star

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