Day of 1 of 5: Stumps
South Africa 238/3
Johannesburg - No one saw that coming. Not the choice to bat first, nor the fact that batting, although risky in that first session, would not be as challenging as last week.
No one saw a century stand coming for the first wicket, nor an opener, playing his second Test making a hundred. Nor did anyone reckon on a return to form for the bloke batting at no.3.
That all happened on the first day of the second Test between South Africa and New Zealand on Friday. It made last week’s two and half day thumping seem barely believable.
Sarel Erwee was magnificent. His was the perfect Test match innings by an opening batter; from the watchfulness, the toughness (both mentally and physically) to finally taking advantage when conditions eased and the opposition bowlers tired.
ALSO READ: Sarel Erwee is eager to right the wrongs of the first Test against New Zealand
However what stood out initially about Erwee was his body language. It seemed like a team tactic.
Erwee would leave the ball emphatically; bat raised, rapidly removed from the ball’s path, his movement whether back or forward was decisive and he and Dean Elgar made a point of acknowledging those early successes, whether they scored a run, defended the ball or left it alone.
SENSATIONAL SAREL 💯
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 25, 2022
Sarel Erwee remained patient and grafted his way to a maiden Test century
📷 @PhotosportNZ #NZvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/RCWu3p3iPL
It was an important mental shift to help themselves in that difficult first hour, but also sent a message back to their dressing room.
New Zealand’s bowling was as good as it was in the first Test, but Elgar and Erwee were better with the bat this week. The emphatic manner of their movement and the improved implementation of pre-match plans ensured that by lunch South Africa had 80 runs on the board and the only bit of hope for the home team’s bowlers was an edge from a firm push by Elgar that fell short of the slips. It was the first of three such moments, which made clear how different this pitch was to the one used in the first match.
Elgar had surprised both New Zealand’s current players and some of its former stars sitting in the television commentary booth with his decision to bat. It was, he said, a positive move, one designed to force his players to be more self-assured.
He needed to lead the way of course and did so in typically gritty style, with Erwee the perfect ally. The 32 year old KwaZulu Natalian was the more forceful of the pair, but his aggression was always controlled.
⛔ DAY 1 | STUMPS
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 25, 2022
The opening day belonged to the batters as #Proteas opener Sarel Erwee secured a maiden Test century (108) while Aiden Markram (42) and captain Dean Elgar (41) contributed as the #Proteas end the day on 238/3
📷 @PhotosportNZ #NZvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/rzeptJ38Oy
That pair raised South Africa’s first century partnership for the first wicket since wth Boxing day Test against Sri Lanka in 2020, while it was also the first hundred run opening partnership away from home, since Alviro Petersen and Graeme Smith made 138 together in Adelaide in 2012.
Elgar was dismissed half an hour after lunch for 41, when he was deceived by Tim Southee’s in-swinger, giving Aiden Markram another opportunity after a lean run.
Markram fought against himself as much as he did against the New Zealand bowlers, determined not to get out, but also not able to keep the scoring rate moving as the opening pair had done. Erwee deserves some credit for not allowing his own pursuit of a personal milestone to inhibit him, as he survived testing spells from Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson while marshalling Markram through the initial stages of his innings.
⚪ CAUGHT
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 25, 2022
Aiden Markram (42) has been drawn into a drive by Wagner, he throws his hands at it but it finds his edge and is caught in the slips
🇿🇦 #Proteas 199/2 after 70 overs
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📝 Ball by Ball https://t.co/vT7HzmAfCt#NZvSA #BePartOfIt
When the hundred came, Erwee, a mainstay of the Dolphins’ resurgence in recent seasons, celebrated with a leap and a punch of the air, with his teammates all giving a standing ovation in the dressing room.
Besides how well he left the ball, the other feature of his innings were the drives through extra cover, all delivered with pleasing style.
He and Markram added 88 for the second wicket, but were dismissed within three balls of each other, both playing loose strokes. Markram was furious having put in all that hard work, and then throwing his wicket away when he edged a wide delivery from Wagner to Daryl Mitchell at slip after scoring 42. Erwee followed shortly after, pushing hard at Henry, giving Tom Blundell a catch. Erwee occupied the crease for nearly five hours in scoring 108, facing 221 balls and hitting 14 fours.
Last week’s debut was more bitter than sweet, but Erwee will take better memories from his second match for his country.
*South Africa made three changes to the starting team for the second Test; Zubayr Hamza, missed out because of a fractured thumb, and was replaced by Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj returned in place of Glenton Stuurman, while Lutho Sipamla was picked ahead of Duanne Olivier.
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