‘Focus more on the ball’: Elgar’s pitch concerns a smokescreen, says Manthorp

Concerns raised by South African captain Dean Elgar about the Gabba pitch being “unsafe”  were a smoke screen to avoid scrutiny of a below-par batting line-up, according to the country’s leading cricket writer and commentator, Neil Manthorp.

Elgar has been called out for what Manthorp believes was a deflection after South Africa lost the first Test by six wickets in two days on an unusually green Brisbane pitch. It was only the second two-day Test ever played in Australia.

Dean Elgar batting during the first Test in BrisbaneCredit: AP

“It was hard to believe Elgar was serious when he asked the umpires on the second morning if conditions were ‘safe’,” Manthorp wrote in his weekly newsletter Manners on Cricket.

“As a man who has played at least a quarter of his (80) career Tests on spicier pitches at home than the Gabba offered up, it’s hard not imagine that his concerns were for the reputations of his teammates rather than their health.

“Six years ago, at the Wanderers, Elgar carried his bat and faced 240 balls for 86 not out against India on a monster of a pitch which was, genuinely, unsafe and was officially rated ‘poor.’

“Elgar would be well-advised to stop worrying about advertising and focus more on the ball. Never a truer word was spoken than by his opposite number, Pat Cummins: ‘It was the same for both sides’.”

Pat Cummins celebrates one of his five second innings wickets in Brisbane.Credit: Getty Images

Elgar fluctuated between admitting that he and his fellow batsmen “weren’t up to the task” and suggesting that the pitch was a “poor advertisement for Test cricket.”

Manthorp believes it was the quality of the bowlers from both sides, combined with the frailness of South Africa’s batting, which combined for the extraordinary result.

“Look at the South African top six. A simple matrix combining the first-class and Test averages of the Proteas’ top-order batsmen reveals that it is the weakest group to leave South African shores since the 1931-32 tour to Australia. Ninety years ago,” Manthorp wrote, pointing out the top-five who played in Brisbane are aged between 32 and 35.

This contrasts with a number of batters the Proteas have left at home.

“Ryan Rickelton, 26, who should have been in Australia from the start and in the XI for Brisbane, has a first-class average of 53.87 after 45 games,” said Manthorp. “Janneman Malan, 26, who should have been opening the Test batting for the last two years, averages 48 from 49 matches and Josh Richards averages 49.2 after 32 games. And there are more. Former SA under-19 captain, Jono Bird, 21, averages 57.4.

“Jordan Hermann has made a tidy start to his first-class career with 750 runs at 75 after his first eight games while Evan Jones averages 71.2 after 10 games and also has 13 wickets at 31 apiece. These numbers may be of interest to Sarel Erwee, who averages 37.8 with 11 hundreds in 106 first-class games and Rassie van der Dussen whose Test average is 30 after 18 matches. Khaya Zondo averages 31.5 after 137 matches and Temba Bavuma 37 after 161 appearances.”

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