Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s 20-year-old fast bowling sensation, yesterday routed England as the hosts gained a consolation victory on the fifth day of the fourth and final Test.
Rabada took six for 32 as England collapsed to 101 all out at SuperSport Park. South Africa won by 280 runs, although England took the series 2-1.
Rabada’s match figures of 13 for 144 were South Africa’s second-best in history. Only Makhaya Ntini, who took 13 for 132 against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 2004-2005, has done better.
Photo: AP
Rabada said Ntini was one of several bowlers he had admired while growing up.
“Every time I asked him to come out and perform for us, he did,” South Africa captain A.B. de Villiers said. “He showed the maturity of a guy who has played a 100 Test matches.”
England captain Alastair Cook was disappointed at the way his side folded yesterday, losing their last seven wickets for 49 runs in just over an hour, but added his praise for Rabada.
He said Rabada’s maturity at the age of 20 was highly impressive.
“The control he has and the ability to swing the ball at pace, and to be able to work out where to bowl at each batsman. He’s bowled really well in these last three games. To get 13 wickets in a Test match at that age, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s got all the attributes that are needed,” Cook said.
Rabada, who had told journalists after taking seven for 112 in the first innings that he felt his bowling had been no better than “okay,” was asked whether he felt he had bowled well in the second innings.
“The ball was coming out nicely,” Rabada said. “I felt my rhythm improved. As the match went on I felt better.”
He again deflected credit and said he did not feel he had “carried” South Africa’s attack, as one journalist suggested.
“I’m still a youngster in the team. I don’t think I was carrying the attack, not at all, not with guys like Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott. They were carrying me,” Rabada said.
He said it was “amazing” to be on the winning side for the first time in his six-Test career.
“We’ve stuck together as a team and everyone played amazingly well. We stayed positive and I’m happy that I contributed,” he said, adding that he was realistic about his achievement.
“I’m not going to do this every day. In the first Test match [that he played in the series in Cape Town] I got smashed everywhere. You have to enjoy these moments,” Rabada said.
England’s collapse started in the third over of the day when James Taylor gloved a lifting delivery from Morkel to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
In the next over, Joe Root edged off-spinner Dane Piedt to Dean Elgar to slip.
Rabada, who took two of the three wickets that fell on the fourth evening, thought he had completed his first 10-wicket haul in Tests when Jonny Bairstow edged him to slip where De Villiers took a leaping catch.
However, Bairstow won a reprieve when a review showed that Rabada had sent down a no-ball.
However, with his next delivery, Rabada had Bairstow caught behind.
Ben Stokes was caught on the midwicket boundary off Morkel and Rabada wrapped up the match by dismissing Chris Woakes and James Anderson off successive deliveries.
Morkel finished with three for 36.
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