Cape Town - The Proteas face the same dilemma assembling an attack for the first of five one-day internationals against England on Wednesday in Bloemfontein as they did during the Test series, when injuries blighted the bowling unit.
In the absence of Dale Steyn - due to a shoulder injury - and Kyle Abbott - a hamstring problem - the South African selectors hoped that a solution might present itself out of the SA A side who played England in Kimberley on Saturday.
However, in another ominous performance from the tourists - reminiscent of their destruction of the A team in a three-day match ahead of the Test series - England beat SA A by 163 runs. Their victory came without the services of two of the best players in the Test series, as Joe Root and Ben Stokes were rested.
Worryingly for the Proteas, the seamers selected for Kimberley all copped a pounding. Hardus Viljoen conceded 69 runs in 10 overs, Marchant de Lange, a late replacement for Wayne Parnell, also went for 69 but claimed two wickets, while David Wiese conceded 73 and young Andile Phehlukwayo went for 69 runs in nine overs.
The selectors decided to throw in their lot with De Lange who has bowled quick this season, but like many fast bowlers on the domestic scene has lacked consistency. He hasn’t been a regular in the Titans team either.
De Lange has played two Tests, three ODIs and six T20Is. His last one-day international appearance was against the West Indies a year ago, and his last showing for the Proteas came in a T20 match in India last year when he conceded 47 runs in four overs.
It’s a very unsettling scenario for the home team, whose efforts in the Tests were hampered by the absence of Steyn and Vernon Philander, forcing them to rely on a youthful and inexperienced crop of bowlers.
It will also mean the management programme for Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, who’ve had a heavy workload recently, may have to be put on the back-burner, at least for Wednesday’s match as both will now likely have to play.
England’s showing in Kimberley was very impressive and an indicator of the new, aggressive attitude they want to utilise in the limited-overs formats.
James Taylor anchored the innings with a run-a-ball 116, while there were noteworthy contributions from captain Eoin Morgan (41), Jonny Bairstow (58 off 30 balls) and Chris Jordan (33 not out off 14 balls) as England scored 368/7.
SA A were bowled out in 30.5 overs for 205 with Jordan, Reece Topley and Adil Rashid each claiming three wickets.
Cape Argus