By Andy Wilson
Jonathan Trott has backed his England Lions to handle the challenge of a strong South Africa A team in the two four-day matches coming up in Paarl and Bloemfontein.
Trott was showing impressive local knowledge to plot a path through central Johannesburg from Soweto to the team’s Wanderers base when the South Africa selectors announced their A-squad as an appendix to the ritzy launch of the Proteas World Cup 15 on the Cape Town waterfront yesterday evening.
When he took a break from the Tom-Tom in the passenger seat to study the list of names, the Lions captain saw an intriguing combination of experience and youth – with the familiar seamers Rory Kleinveldt and Ryan McLaren joined by the younger firebrands Marchant de Lange and Kagiso Radiba, and Temba Bavuma and Stiaan van Zyl given a chance to press their claims as Test openers following the international retirement of Alviro Petersen.
“I’ve always said there’s a lot of talent here in South Africa so it’s no surprise to see such a strong A-team picked against us,” Trott told ecb.co.uk.
“But that makes it an exciting challenge for all our guys. Everyone in this squad has the opportunity to put a case forward for national honours. We certainly have the players to do that.”
Trott was heading back to his home city of Cape Town with the Lions today, leaving them two days to practise before the start of the first game against South Africa A in Paarl on Sunday.
But he stressed the team’s appreciation of the hospitality they had received in Johannesburg – especially at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus – and of the opposition provided by the Gauteng Invitation XI.
“Coming to Soweto, we’ve been really impressed with the facilities and the set-up here, so it’s been really good,” he added. “I think we had a really good hit-out as a team, everyone got a go, we got what we needed and we’re looking forward to Cape Town.
The #EngLions received a friendly welcome when they arrived at their hotel in Cape Town. @lythy09 seemed to love it! http://t.co/2eFAAifiWR
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) January 8, 2015
“But it’s not just about us, it’s about them developing their cricket as well. I know I used to enjoy my games against touring teams as a youngster. I hope they enjoyed it. We certainly did, and we’re thankful for the hospitality showed here.”
South Africa’s 16-man A-squad includes 11 players with international experience, who have made a combined total of 158 appearances for the Proteas – 16 Tests, exactly 100 ODIs, and 42 international T20s.
The Test caps are sprinkled around seven players including McLaren, a familiar face to supporters of Kent and Middlesex, and Kleinveldt, who played a single game for Hampshire in 2008, and will captain the team for the first match in Paarl after a surprise recall to the senior Proteas T20 squad for Justin Ontong.
In addition to de Lange, the 24-year-old who is regarded as one of the quickest bowlers in South Africa and took 7-81 on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Durban in 2012, there are further pace options. Chris Morris, the canny 27-year-old all-rounder who played in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, is joined by Beuran Hendricks, a 24-year-old from the Cobras who played five T20 internationals last year having impressed on the A-tour of Australia.
Perhaps the most exciting name in the squad is Kagiso Rabada, the star of last February’s Under-19 World Cup, where he took competition-best figures of 6-26 to rout Australia in the semi-final.
The spin options are also intriguing. Dane Piedt is a 24-year-old off-spinner with all the modern variations who took eight wickets in his single Test appearance against Zimbabwe in Harare last year, including one with his first ball.
Eddie Leie is a 28-year-old leg-spinner who has gained considerable first-class experience with the Highveld Lions.
Simon Harmer, another off-spinner who has been in the headlines in South Africa in the last few days after impressing in his Test debut against West Indies in Cape Town, is not in the squad for the four-day matches, but is due to face the Lions in the five-match one-day series that follows.
South Africa A four-day squad: Justin Ontong (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Temba Bavuma (bizhub Highveld Lions), Gihahn Cloete (Chevrolet Knights), Theunis de Bruyn (The Unlimited Titans), Marchant de Lange (The Unlimited Titans), Beuran Hendricks (Nashua Cape Cobras), Reeza Hendricks (Chevrolet Knights), Rory Kleinveldt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Eddie Leie (bizhub Highveld Lions), Ryan McLaren (Sunfoil Dolphins), Chris Morris (bizhub Highveld Lions), Dane Piedt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Andrew Puttick (Nashua Cape Cobras), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rudi Second (Chevrolet Knights), Stiaan van Zyl (Nashua Cape Cobras).
South Africa A one-day squad: Justin Ontong (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Theunis de Bruyn (The Unlimited Titans), Marchant de Lange (The Unlimited Titans), Dean Elgar (The Unlimited Titans), Simon Harmer (Chevrolet Warriors), Beuran Hendricks (Nashua Cape Cobras), Reeza Hendricks (Chevrolet Knights), Eddie Leie (bizhub Highveld Lions), Ryan McLaren (Sunfoil Dolphins), Chris Morris (bizhub Highveld Lions), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Mthokozisi Shezi (Nashua Cape Cobras), Stiaan van Zyl (Nashua Cape Cobras), Dane Vilas (Nashua Cape Cobras), Khaya Zondo (Sunfoil Dolphins).