Lungi Ngidi’s drive gives Protea extra aggression

Besides spending the winter seething about his axing from the Test team, Lungi Ngidi also worked hard to get himself in shape for the World Cup. The rewards for those efforts were evident in Thursday’s victory against Australia. 

Ngidi’s toothy grin and bright personality masks a nasty streak that emerges when he has the ball in hand. It set the tone for the Proteas’ performance in the field in Lucknow, where Ngidi took 1/18 in the eight overs.

“It was a clinical performance from the bowlers and it was really started by Lungi,” coach Rob Walter said. 

SA claimed a 134-run victory bowling the powerful Australian line-up out in the 41st over of that match to secure a second win in the tournament. “The five over spell in the power play was exemplary,” said Walter. 

Ngidi had a difficult time towards the end of last season. He lost his place in the Test side to Gerald Coetzee. Later, he acknowledged that left him angry and looking for answers from Test coach Shukri Conrad. While he was also contracted to different T20 Leagues, including the IPL and Major League Cricket competition in the US, Ngidi played very little. 

He started the season looking rusty, and struggled in the T20s against Australia, but gradually began to make an impression in the latter stages of ODI series, before Thursday’s stunning impact.

Walter said that despite all the struggles at the start of the season, the 27-year-old’s work ethic never wavered. “He put a massive emphasis on his conditioning, and he worked really hard on his bowling. Things weren’t clicking into place for him, but it wasn’t for lack of effort and application. I’m really chuffed he reaped the rewards. He certainly deserved it, based on the way he’s been grafting. His speeds were up, there was good shape and some quality thinking.”

Ngidi has also taken the new ball alongside Marco Jansen at the World Cup, a move that has meant Kagiso Rabada bowls first change, giving the Proteas an added pace threat in the middle overs. “I have to acknowledge [bowling coach] Eric Simons, who has really been excellent with the bowlers. We are starting to feel like there are little wins based on the work that has been put in, Lungi was the ambassador for that,” Walter said.

The Proteas touched down in Dharamshala on Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s encounter against the Netherlands at the HPSCA Stadium. Though the Dutch have struggled so far losing by 81 runs to Pakistan and then by 99 runs against New Zealand, there’ll be no complacency from the Proteas, who last November suffered a shock defeat against the Dutch that saw them eliminated from the T20 World Cup.

“The process we follow leading into each game so far doesn’t change, we don’t disrespect anyone by thinking they are lesser opponents,” said Walter. 

That also means there are not likely to be any changes to the starting team. “It’s about playing whatever we feel is the strongest team on the day. For now it is full steam ahead,” said Walter.

“Everyone is training particularly well. The guys have put in the hard yards going back to the winter already, and since we've been here have worked extremely hard. When I look at the squad there’s no-one there who isn’t ready to compete if they got tapped on the shoulder,” said Walter.