Dale Steyn sidelined again

Not many South Africans were at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Monday but those who were would’ve been scared stiff by what they saw after Dale Steyn had bowled four balls of the 35th over in Nottinghamshire’s first innings on the second day of their match against Hampshire.

Rilee Rossouw was there along with Gareth Berg and Kyle Abbott‚ all of them playing for Hampshire.

Riki Wessels‚ the son of Kepler Wessels who was born in Queensland but grew up in Port Elizabeth‚ was the closest thing to a Saffer on the Notts side of the dressingroom divide.

But Steyn himself would have been the stiffest of them all — having sent down those four deliveries in his 11th over he left the field with what the BBC reported‚ on social media‚ as a “groin injury”.

Hampshire‚ the Beeb said‚ they were “not sure on extent” and “will know more tomorrow”.

Steyn owns the two most famous broken shoulders — the same shoulder‚ broken twice‚ both in the past 21 months — in all of sport‚ and in February this year he added to the list ripping a ligament off his heel.

He went to Sri Lanka in July needing three wickets to replace Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s champion Test bowler.

But Steyn could take only two in the 52.4 overs he bowled in the two matches‚ not least because the conditions offered fast bowlers about as good a deal as a dodgy tuk-tuk driver.

So he remains locked with Pollock on 421 career wickets‚ and will get the opportunity to nudge ahead when South Africa hosts Pakistan in December and January.

If‚ that is‚ he’s fit …