JOHANNESBURG - One of the most pleasing aspects of the current Tour to New Zealand for South Africa coach Russell Domingo, is the number of options that he and his captain suddenly have at their disposal.
As the Proteas look to the fourth ODI in Hamilton on Wednesday (3am start), the mood in the tourists’ camp couldn’t be more chipper. They are winning a lot more than they are losing, and a lot of those wins are down to players who are still supposed to be finding their feet at this level.
“It’s been a feature of our side’s performances over the last year that the younger players have all come in and put in performances straight away, which speaks a lot about where the team is at the moment and the culture of the group,” Domingo told media in Wellington after the 159-run win on Saturday.
That culture is certainly thriving, and though the likes of Dwaine Pretorius and Wayne Parnell can no longer be classed as youngsters, they are still establishing themselves. Parnell is enjoying a renaissance, Pretorius is a late bloomer eagerly making up for lost time, while Andile Phehlukwayo is still very wet behind the ears.
And yet all three have already made decisive contributions over the course of the series, which bodes well for the future. All three have also made key contributions with both bat and ball.
Pretorius’ burst of 3/5, backed up by a brace of wickets by the others, stunned New Zealand in the last match and all three have shown that they are genuine all-rounders. Not too long ago, there was concern about the dearth of all-rounders in the SA team, but that is no longer the case.
“It’s always pleasing when some new players are stepping up and we are not relying on one or two players,” Domingo added.
Step up they have, and they are all not shy of giving the ball a fearful hiding. In Phehlukwayo and Pretorius’ case, being new comes with an understanding that there will be the odd setback, and that licence has seen them thrill more often than not.
These are exciting times for Domingo’s plans, and the spanner that was thrown into the works by the premature fleeing of several swallows to England, on Kolpak wings, suddenly seems a long time ago.
Such is life, and the show has rolled relentlessly on. The manner in which skipper AB de Villiers has also guided his prospects through key stages in matches has also been encouraging. He was at the crease with Parnell and Phehlukwayo and was happy to play sit back and admire, as they did most of the work.
With ball in hand, he has stood at mid-off and been a voice of comfort and confirmation.
All three players, like the rest of the Proteas, are playing with a smile on their faces, a sure sign of the certainty that they are operating with.
When a few key men fled the Proteas’ nest in January, the onus was on the selectors to give Domingo and De Villiers fresh hatchlings. Happily, those fledglings have already had a taste of international cricket, and they are all showing signs of already being birds of prey, hunting in unison with established leaders of the flock.
That is enough reason for Domingo to chortle into his morning coffee, safe in the knowledge that his birds are lining up in potent formation.