Dane Paterson is 35, bowling in the 120s and admitted he “probably won’t be a fan favourite”, due to his age and (lack of) pace.
Corbin Bosch was 19 when he was tipped for greatness. He is now 30 years old and regularly plays at over 90 mph. He stole hearts as a local hero who now plays at the place where his late father made his name.
Between them, they took nine out of ten Pakistani wickets in an attack involving the well-known names of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. How did this happen? This was largely due to the pressure created by two fantastic spells from Rabada, where he batted the bat almost once an over, caused the Pakistani batters to play shots that were uncontrolled every third ball and n ‘still didn’t get a wicket. “I don’t think I’ve seen two better spells from an international bowler,” Bosch said. “Now I can finally see it with my own eyes.”
Paterson has seen it before. “Even in the Sri Lanka Test series, he had a lot of plays and misses,” he recalls, particularly at St George’s Park, where Rabada took a first innings and two wickets in the second innings. “For him to keep coming, that’s really good to see.” He doesn’t get depressed and always keeps his head held high. This can be frustrating, especially for a quality bowler like him.
But that would also be a disservice to the two people in question. Paterson is a proven performer, even if he doesn’t turn out the lights. It was just a match ago, at St George’s Park, that he passed his first Test five-for with a display of excellent control and slight seam movement. Contrary to stereotypes of big Southern villains, Paterson relies on subtle skills. Today there was a small change in length.
“They were standing outside the crease, so I just had to pull my length out,” he said. “After lunch I had a chat with (bowling coach) Piet Botha and (Test coach) Shukri Conrad and they just told me that I just need to hit hard on the game. All of a sudden suddenly, I had this variable rebound.
His shorter lengths in the afternoon allowed the Pakistani batters to advance on him, and Kamran Ghulam and Salman Agha went for aggressive shots, which is exactly what Paterson wanted to see. “It shows you that you are a threat once they start attacking you,” he said. “Even in county cricket, guys walk all over me, but I’ve done a good job of brushing them off, so it really doesn’t bother me. As soon as I see guys coming, I think I’m in the game because those aren’t good cricket shots they’re playing.
It is worth remembering that Paterson took 180 wickets in 45 matches for Nottinghamshire between 2021 and 2024 and was only considered for national selection when Conrad had to take a B team to New Zealand earlier this year. “When we had the opportunity in January we knew what was going on going to New Zealand and I thought I could probably do two tests and then that’s it,” he said . “And then Shukri told me that was my plan with you, and we just had an honest, open conversation. I obviously knew what I had to do with my role, get in shape, train and try to perform.
Now, with South Africa one win away from the World Test Championship final, Paterson may be hungry for the ultimate farewell, but he’s not there yet. “The path of the Lord is very long. I will be 36,” he said. “We don’t want to go to a press conference and mention my age. But yes, that’s the goal. Everyone is talking about it. The team is focused. »
Bosch’s ambitions were a little more precise. “One of my goals for the year was to play in two formats for the country,” he said. “But someone has to pinch me right now.” A few months ago, I never would have thought I would be sitting here.
In the space of four days, Bosch made his ODI and Test debuts and although they both came out of necessity along with other injured players, they meant no less to him. “I’m extremely grateful,” he said.
Especially since he was able to make his test debut on his home ground, in the presence of his mother. He paid tribute to him, and not his late father Tertius, with his shirt number. Instead of the usual 14, he opted for 37. “My father’s birthday is on March 14, so I played a lot of cricket to represent him,” he explained. “My mother goes unnoticed and unnoticed. It’s actually more of a tribute to her. His year of birth is 1973. Unfortunately, there was someone (Khaya Zondo) who was 73, so I decided to do it in reverse.
And if the fairy tale needed anything else, it came when Bosch received the ball, in the 15th over, and became the fifth South African to strike with his first delivery in Test cricket. “I was just happy that it bounced back. The nerves were not as bad as (my ODI debut) on Sunday, but they were still there, mostly, I waited for half a session,” Bosch said. “I haven’t bowled before a drink, so I wondered: Am I even going to bowl in this game at some point? Temba [Bavuma] gave me the ball and then I took my first international wicket. I couldn’t even have dreamed something. Even when I was thinking last night, what would be one of the biggest things to achieve today? It was definitely not what I would have thought.
Bosch admitted the delivery was one that Shan Masood, on the outside, “maybe shouldn’t have played in”, but getting the Pakistan captain was still a big deal. Bigger than his father Brian Lara’s first Test wicket? “I think when I go to heaven one day it will tell me that Brian is a little better than your first ball wicket,” Bosch joked.
For the rest of his time, ball in hand, Bosch was the least disciplined of South Africa’s bowlers, but the one Pakistan decided to take on. And he put himself in a position where he could go looking for a five-for, which he didn’t get and which only left him wanting more. “I still feel like I can bowl better. It wasn’t too bad,” he said. “Overall, I am very happy with my performance today.”
Ultimately, Paterson and Bosch could feel that way. They’re not big names, but they’re putting on the biggest performances today, and some days that’s all that matters.
