Lots of sun but no play in Four-Day final because of wet outfield

The sun shone — which it hasn’t done in these parts for weeks — it was warm, but embarrassingly for the Wanderers there was no cricket on the first day of the Four-Day Series final between the Lions and Titans on Thursday. 

It’s a good thing the final was always scheduled for five days — because the teams will need it. The heavy rain in Gauteng the past few weeks has left its imprint on the famous venue, with the ‘Bullring’ receiving 135mm in just the past seven days. That raised the water table on the outfield and meant that despite a warm sun, there were muddy and wet patches. 

Most notably, the bowlers’ run raises at the Corlett Drive End were deemed soft and therefore dangerous by match referee Gerrie Pienaar and the two on-field umpires Allahudien Paleker and Dennis Smith. 

Play will start at 9.30am for the rest of the match, to try to make up for the time lost on Thursday. 

Meanwhile, CSA provided clarity about Temba Bavuma’s injury which saw the Proteas captain withdraw from the Lions side on the eve of the final.

While the Lions were informed only on Wednesday about the ailment, and didn’t understand the nature of the injury other than it was to his elbow, on Thursday morning CSA confirmed that Bavuma had “experienced discomfort in his left elbow during a gym session” earlier in the week. 

His absence from the final is a precautionary measure, with Bavuma set to lead the Proteas in the World Test Championship final in June at Lord’s. 

Bavuma’s left elbow has troubled him for most of the season, after he injured it during an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi last September. He was forced to miss the Test series in Bangladesh the next month.

Despite the ongoing discomfort, Bavuma had one of his best seasons in a Proteas shirt, scoring over 500 runs in seven innings and making two hundreds and three fifties, to lead the side to the WTC final, where they will face Australia. 

He last batted in the semifinal of the Champions Trophy, where he made 58 in the defeat against New Zealand and was set to to play his first match since then in Bloemfontein last week for the Lions, but that encounter was rained out. 

Meanwhile, Western Province confirmed head coach Salieg Nackerdien’s departure on Thursday. Nackerdien, who had been at the helm at Newlands for four years, will head to Tanzaniam where he will take up the position as the head coach of that country’s senior men’s team. 

During a difficult period for WP, Nackerdien oversaw success for them in the One-Day Cup last season, and helped them to reach the final of the Four-Day competition, which they lost to the Lions. 

Former Proteas all-rounder Justin Kemp is set to take over from Nackerdien. Kemp has worked as WP’s bowling coach for the past 18 months.