SA fast bowlers

On Friday the South African cricket side took on Kenya in a One Day International fixture which they easily cantered home in. The side looked very short of match practice (particularly the bowlers) and this is something that needs to be addressed without blowing them out ahead of the Aussie tour at the end of the year.

Monde Zondeki was particularly off song and didn’t find any real rhythm.

Morne Morkel’s figures weren’t that bad and apart from one over where he went for 12 runs, he was efficient.

But let’s bear in mind that they were bowling, against a very average Kenyan batting line-up, one couldn’t help but think he’d have been in trouble bowling to the Indian or Australian batters.

For the record their bowling figures were as below:
M Zondeki 8 0 50 1
M Morkel 9 0 32 0

Morkel at the moment is definitely in the picture for a first team test bowling spot and a fit Zondeki backing up the first line strike bowlers will be invaluable over the coming summer, but splashing it around is not going to get you where you want to be.

Games against the likes of Kenya and Bangladesh should be aimed at having your strike bowlers proving they can control the ball under lights and bowl 6 balls in the same area of the pitch.

My suggestion would be to the South African fast bowlers that if that they should remember that the Kenyan side wasn’t intimidated with their blast ‘em out mentality so the bigger name sides probably won’t be – disciplined fast bowling is what is needed from these guys now…