Elgar looks to first-class structure to fill Proteas’ experience deficiency

Proteas captain Dean Elgar believes the lack of experience in SA’s Test side can be remedied if they can find the right players with enough experience at first-class level at home.

SA suffered a nine-wicket defeat to England in the final Test at the Oval on Monday, a result that saw them lose the three-match series 2-1.

Elgar pointed to lack of experience and not enough runs in the top order as among the reasons the Proteas fell to two such heavy defeats. After winning the first Test at Lord’s by an innings and 12 runs the Proteas succumbed by an innings and 85 runs at Old Trafford.

Elgar is confident there are enough resources in the SA first-class structure to develop the players needed to perform at the highest level in the game’s longest format.

“I always bank on experience at Test level and I know we don’t have that at the moment,” he said.

“So my next best thing is to ask who we have with experience in first-class cricket. Is that the right solution at the moment? We don’t know yet.

“We still have a few months before our next series and only a handful of four-day games at home before we leave for Australia [for the T20 World Cup].

“It is a tough thing now because the guys have to learn [about] the toughest format without many experienced heads around them, which is always something we were aware of because of the number of guys who retired back-to-back.

“However, that is the cards we were dealt and we have to find ways to ease the blow.”

The left-hander felt batting conditions were not easy throughout the series and a lack of exposure to Test cricket in England showed.

“The lack of exposure to Test Cricket and UK conditions where the ball was nipping and swinging.

“We were also exposed to the toughest batting conditions in this Test where the ball was nipping quite a lot and was up there with some really tough conditions, even for myself. And I have a relatively decent amount of experience, so I can only imagine how the guys with one or two Tests under their belts must have felt.”

Heading home to prepare for the upcoming domestic series and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia that starts on October 12, the Proteas' next assignment in the Test arena sees them take on Australia in a three-match series starting on December 17.

“I think that was always going to be a big series, another tough series away from home. It is never easy going over there, but it is another exciting chapter for us to experience and be exposed to.

“The series will be one big World Cup final, but every Test match is something you have to live and die for. In a three-match series against Australia, every match will be huge.”

On Marco Jansen’s promising performances in difficult circumstances against England, Elgar believes the all-rounder could still do big things in the green and gold.

“He is a huge talent, very young and inexperienced [at Test level], but he has a different mentality in the way he approaches the game.

“He has two bites at the cherry being an all-rounder, so if one discipline lets him down he knows he can sort it out with the other.

“He has no baggage, no cobwebs in his closet. He is pretty raw and has not yet failed at a young age, so he can play with that open and positive mindset, so it’s nice to have him around the changeroom.”

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