Spin could be on, but pace Proteas’ main weapon, says bowling coach Piet Botha

While seam bowling is likely to play a major role, Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha has not ruled out the possibility of spin becoming a factor against Sri Lanka in the second Test starting at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Thursday (10am). 

With the series on the line, the Proteas have seen their pace attack sabotaged by injuries to four of the premier pacemen. The all-important second match will see a reshuffle of their bowling attack as they look to further strengthen their position in the ICC World Test Championship rankings. 

Nandré Burger and Lungi Ngidi were ruled out before the series. Wiaan Mulder joined the injured list in Durban and Gerald Coetzee was added after SA’s 233-run victory at Kingsmead.

Test coach Shukri Conrad will have some tough decisions to make when he selects his final XI. Though they are thin on resources, Botha is confident they have enough firepower to cause the Lankans many problems.

At Conrad’s disposal will be regular quicks Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, while Keshav Maharaj is their front-line spin option. 

Lions left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka and Western Province right-arm fast bowler Dane Paterson will both be seam bowling options while Warriors spinning all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy is also an option given his ability to offer something with bat and ball. 

“It will be an interesting decision on who gets the nod. St George’s Park is generally a good cricket wicket,” Botha said on Tuesday. 

“Dane Paterson’s style of bowling would suit that surface, consistently bowling that perfect length with good discipline. 

“Our DNA is our pace, so that is also something we will discuss and whether Kwena comes into it. 

“Exactly which direction we go in terms of our bowling attack for the match will be part of the discussions over the next few days as well as the morning of the game.

“The weather looks good for the coming week. Sometimes things can depend on the wind factor [because] in PE, the winds can be heavy, and depending on which direction it’s coming from, spin could become a factor,” Botha said. 

Botha put the evolution of the bowling group down to their ability to work in pairs, but also to the hard graft the players have put in over the past two seasons, and said they were now starting to reap the rewards.

“They have done exceptionally well because every Test match is about taking 20 wickets and what we have done well was to bowl in tandem. 

“It has always been the case. Even with our spin bowlers, the players have bowled well in pairs to get the required 20 wickets each time. 

“There are so many world-class players there, but the main ingredient is the hard work they put in and it is evident on the field,” he added. 

The former Eastern Province and Warriors coach said despite the injury list, the depth of their bowling stocks allows for more opportunities to be afforded to other bowlers in the group while giving the back room staff a look at the bigger picture in terms of their skills.