Perfect weather, a historic hundred, and plenty of singing in the stands made it a day to savour
Samantha Smith07-Jan-2016Choice of game
It doesn’t take much to convince me to attend an international contest at Newlands. In fact, I’d probably turn up to watch an ODI between Kenya and Afghanistan. Suffice it to say, the idea of missing a South Africa v England Test is a reality I’d rather not contemplate.Team supported
South Africa. At the start of the game, I predicted a win for the embattled Proteas given their outstanding record at Newlands and their propensity to bounce back after a disappointing start to a home Test series. But after England’s batting onslaught on Days 1 and 2, the prospect of a tame draw was pleasing.Crowd meter
As always, the New Year’s Test is a well-attended affair. The grass embankments were filled to capacity and, given the exceedingly warm weather, all the available seats in shaded areas were occupied. However, it was not the Newlands faithful whose cheers reverberated the loudest. Throughout this Test, England supporters have surprisingly outnumbered South Africa fans. This was abundantly clear when England entered the field to a rapturous applause from the crowd at the start of play.By contrast, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis made their way to the pitch to muted cheers. Indeed the presence of the Barmy Army has generated a buzzing and entertaining atmosphere. A large contingent of flag-waving, white-shirt wearing England fans seated near me frequently broke into song. Jonny Bairstow appeared to be a fan favourite among the Barmy Army after they replaced the words “Oh, pretty baby” in Frank Sinatra’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” with “Oh, Jonny Bairstow”. They also had a soft spot for Jimmy Anderson whom they serenaded with a simple and repetitive “Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy”. The non-singing folk, on the other hand, simply bellowed “Rooooooot!” when Joe Root was introduced into the attack.Fancy dress index
The fancy-dress brigade went all out on the penultimate day of the Newlands Test. I spotted a group of guys dressed as fairies. They adorned white T-shirts, glittering net skirts, dainty umbrellas and plastic masks. I encountered a couple dressed as Mini and Mickey Mouse. An elderly man morphed into Charlie Chaplin, and an England supporter was covered head-to-toe in pink paint. It may have been sunscreen or an attempt to be a pink Smurf. Hats carved out of watermelons were abundant as were the detachable ‘Amla’ beards. One guy painted his face in the colours of the South African flag and a trio of gentlemen wore bodysuits decorated with the England flag. The prize for best fancy dress, however, should be jointly shared between a group of boisterous England fans whose costumes included Cousin It, Thomas the Tank Engine, a caveman, a Christmas cracker, the Union Jack, a baby, a Disney Princess, a Baywatch lifeguard, Spiderman and a hotdog. Hands down, the craziest group of people I have ever seen.Entertainment
During the lunch break, the crowd were treated to a Sunfoil Cook-Off between South Africa supporters and England fans, and young children excitedly played mini-cricket on the field. The most entertaining off-field contest, however, was a chanting battle between a group of Proteas fans wearing yellow dishwashing gloves waving South African flags, and the England supporters in fancy dress. The South Africa fans proudly sang “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” while the England supporters erupted with “We Are England”. They were interrupted by a fielding review in the 187th over but were undeterred and stoically continued with a “Moeen Ali” chant. What a day!Temba Bavuma became the first black African to score a Test hundred•AFPKey performer
When England’s pacemen struck early after lunch to remove Amla, du Plessis and Quinton De Kock in quick succession, you’d be forgiven for thinking a batting implosion was on the cards. Temba Bavuma, however, had other plans. He showed great positivity and resolve in constructing his maiden Test hundred. Bavuma’s history-making innings of 102* off 148 balls combined flair with innovative stroke play and steadfast application. His record-breaking seventh wicket stand of 167 with Chris Morris, who scored a well-composed 69, all but thwarted an England victory.Things I’d have changed about the match
Amla declared South Africa’s innings just in time to give his front-line bowlers a crack at England’s top-order. It would have made for an interesting Day 5 had Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada managed to snag a few English wickets before the close of play.The interplay you enjoyed
I quite liked Bavuma’s three consecutive fours off the bowling of Steven Finn in the 176th over. Bavuma executed a well-timed, front-foot cover drive, used his wrists to steer a delivery pitched short through backward point and followed it up with a forceful pull over deep midwicket. The over yielded 15 runs and I’d wager that the sledging subsided, too.Wow moment
When Amla reached his double hundred in the 159th over, a sun-baked Newlands crowd erupted with prodigious applause. His patient, well-constructed 201 brought an end to an uncharacteristically lean patch and emphatically reaffirmed that sporting adage: Form is temporary but class is permanent.Player watch
I was seated directly above the popular Oaks grass embankment and from my view, Moeen Ali frequently signed autographs for eager, young fans carrying mini bats and small notepads. Nick Compton warmly interacted with a couple of spectators seated along the boundary, and Kagiso Rabada was treated to a vociferous roar from a rowdy North Stand as he made his way to the practice nets in full batting gear. Lucky for him, he didn’t need to spend much time in the middle.Shot of the day
Bavuma’s square-drive off Ben Stokes in the 186th over was scintillating!Enhanced viewing
My iPod came in handy when a peculiar man seated in front of me repeatedly tried to convince his friends that “Michael Hussey is going to score a 50 in the second innings” and that “Scotland will never bowl us out”. Yeah, I’m still not sure whether he was serious.Marks out of 10
9. The weather was fantastic, the Barmy Army was highly entertaining and the cricket wasn’t bad either.An eco-friendly suggestion
After a day’s play, Newlands Cricket Ground is littered with thousands of plastic cups and bottles which are rounded up for garbage collection. It would be wonderful if the stadium could introduce recycling vats or designated recycling bins to encourage eco-friendly living and reduce its carbon footprint.