Deep in the bowels of Lord’s and amid wild celebrations after their thumping win over England by an innings and 12 runs on Friday, Proteas captain Dean Elgar reminded his teammates that one swallow doesn’t make a summer.
There are still two Tests to be played in this series, which continues with the second match at Old Trafford on Thursday. and Elgar has warned his teammates not to fall into the trap of complacency.
The skipper said the Proteas will celebrate this memorable victory at the home of cricket but after two days they will return to the training ground with renewed vigour for more of the same in Manchester.
“I am definitely not going to make us go into a comfort zone because I know what complacency can do in international sport,” said Elgar.
England went into the Test match — which ended in less than three days after rain disruption on day one — talking about their new found abrasive and high-octane “Bazball” but it was blunted by the Proteas.
SA’s fast bowling attack was led by the world class man-of-the-match Kagiso Rabada who claimed his 12th five-wicket haul in the first innings to get his name on the honours board at the revered venue. He ended with match figures of 7/79.
Proteas seamers took advantage of conducive conditions after Elgar won the toss and chose to bat first to reduce England to a first innings score of 165, with Anrich Norjte (3/63) and Marco Jansen (2/30) also making solid contributions.
SA went in to bat on day three and they reached 326 and a lead of 161, with Sarel Erwee top scoring with 73, and there were useful scores from Jansen (48), Keshav Maharaj (41) and Elgar (47).
The 161 lead proved too much to be overhauled by England who bowled out for 149 in their second innings as they fell to this heavy and embarrassing innings defeat.
Rabada starred during the first innings but Nortje turned on the heat on Friday with a devastating spell of three wickets in quick succession, as SA ripped through the English middle order.
We need to enjoy this moment at a sold-out Lord’s. It’s pretty big and special to a lot of guys who haven’t experienced it before. We need to enjoy the next two days and focus on the next Test
— Dean Elgar
Nortje ended the second innings with three wickets and he was supported by Rabada, Maharaj and Jansen, while Ngidi was unlucky to have returned with only one scalp despite his controlled performance.
“We need to enjoy this moment at a sold-out Lord’s. It’s pretty big and special to a lot of guys who haven’t experienced it before. We need to enjoy the next two days and focus on the next Test,” said Elgar.
He paid special tribute to the bowling department who unsettled England from the beginning by reducing them to 116/6 before rain interrupted proceedings after lunch on day one. “My margin for error is a lot bigger. I have four fast bowlers and our number three and four are the fastest out of the four. It is pretty nice to have that but again you still have to have sound game plans,” said Elgar.
“Bowlers need to know their roles well. They need to adapt to situations which I am very big on; and you have Kesh (Maharaj) who is world class as well. He just operates in his own zone, he is an absolute gun when it comes to operating as a cricketer. It is brilliant to have him in the team; it is nice to have those luxuries but it is by no means the end product.”
Elgar wants the players to produce more as they battle to get to the number one spot in the world. “I want them to still get better, I need them to achieve more. I want them to want to achieve more and I think once they all buy into that, which I am sure they are doing with great victories like this, we are going to be a special bowling attack.”
Elgar said the victory was a result of the systems they put together behind the scenes where they fight for each other. “I think it is a good reflection of what we have done over the last year. You need to play every game for the Test side like it is your last game.
“That’s my mantra, we have played good cricket and it is a reflection on the individual players and the team system that we have created. There is room for improvement; you will always try and find a negative somewhere, that’s my job and even if things are going well you have to look for negatives.
“It’s going to be hard to stay in that position (at the top of the ICC Test Championship) but if we keep on playing the way we’ve been playing and conducting ourselves on and off the field ... the rest will look after itself.”
Man of the match
Kagiso Rabada, who was named the man-of-the-match for his exploits, claimed his 12th five-wicket haul in the first innings and got his name on the honours board at the home of cricket.
Rabada — who was doubtful for the first of three Test matches at Lord’s — also became the 12th South African bowler to take five wickets in an innings at this revered venue.
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