De Villiers’ absence increasingly conspicuous

Times Media - February 5, 2014

TELFORD VICE, Johannesburg

AB de Villiers did not need to leave the dressingroom to make an impact on the start of SA’s three-day practice match at the Wanderers yesterday.

De Villiers, who went under the surgeon’s knife on January 10 to have a plate removed from his hand, did not play. His absence became more conspicuous as SA’s innings wore on.

A pitch made damp from this week’s heavy rain was a mitigating factor, but most of the probable test XI for the series against Australia, which starts at Centurion a week today, were dismissed for 300 by an attack whose only internationally capped bowlers were Wayne Parnell and Ryan McLaren. At stumps, the Composite XI, who are drawn largely from the franchise ranks, were 24/3.

SA’s total might have been more anaemic had No. 8 Vernon Philander not scored an unbeaten 58. Their top six put 118 runs into the pot; their bottom five 170. The biggest partnership of an innings that listed at 151/7 was the 62 that Philander and Rory Kleinveldt shared for the ninth wicket.

All of which added to the importance of ensuring De Villiers’ readiness for the Aussie series.

SA team management have said repeatedly that De Villiers is on track, but unless he is substituted into the practice match - it does not hold first-class status - he will take guard against the second-best attack in the game next week having not lifted a bat in anger since the third day against India at Kingsmead, or more than five weeks ago.

De Villiers batted in the nets on Monday and yesterday, has been put through his wicketkeeping drills and will get through much more of the same in the coming days. But that might not count for much when he has Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle steaming towards him.

“It was probably just a day or two too early for him to come back, but he looked very comfortable batting in the nets,” Faf du Plessis said.

Of course, had De Villiers played yesterday he could well have looked as rusty as the rest of SA’s batting line-up. All of them except Hashim Amla batted for more than an hour - Du Plessis was there for two hours for his 36 - and they seemed to need more time where that came from. Smith, for instance, was caught in the slips off a McLaren no-ball on nine.

Which is not to detract from the Composite XI’s plucky bowling. Beuran Hendricks and Simon Harmer took three wickets each and deserved their success, Hendricks for his persistent aggression and Harmer for his consistent turn.

However, Parnell and McLaren, who are competing for the allrounder’s berth in the test XI, performed to type. Parnell was fast but too furious to threaten often enough. McLaren was disciplined but lacked penetration.

It will not have escaped notice that five of SA’s wickets, including four of the top five, fell to left-arm seamers like Johnson.

Harmer had the penultimate laugh in a battle with Robin Petersen, who reverse swept five of the off-spinner’s deliveries - two for six, another for four - in an over that leaked 19 runs. Then Peterson hit the first ball of the next over, bowled by McLaren, straight to mid-on - where Harmer took the catch.

But Peterson later struck back by taking a return catch to dismiss Harmer, who came in as a nightwatchman.

Peterson was in rasping form, ending the day with two wickets and without conceding a run.