By Kevin Rademeyer.
As the Proteas prepare to take the field at Lord’s for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia on June 11, questions remain about their readiness after a disrupted lead-in to the historic clash. A rain-affected warm-up match in Arundel against Zimbabwe – their only red-ball preparation on tour – has left South Africa potentially undercooked ahead of the high-stakes encounter.
The fixture was designed to help the Proteas acclimatise to England’s early summer conditions, particularly the challenges posed by the Dukes ball and Lord’s iconic slope. But with three of the four scheduled days lost to rain, the Proteas were denied crucial match time.
“It’s not ideal, but this is part of what could potentially be thrown up in the Test as well,” said head coach Shukri Conrad. “We’ve had two good days of nets, but we needed more time in the middle”
Captain Temba Bavuma echoed that sentiment. While he described warm-up games as often “a waste of time,” even he acknowledged the value of his 58-run innings on Wednesday – the highlight of a truncated match that saw little play.
Beyond tactical decisions, there’s a deeper narrative at play. Bavuma’s journey from the streets of Langa to leading South Africa at the sport’s most hallowed ground is a story of grit and transformation. “There was always some sort of allegiance with Lord’s when we were growing up,” he recalled. “My favourite section of the street was clean and done up nicely, so we called it Lord’s.”
At 35, Bavuma carries not just the hopes of a nation, but the legacy of a player who broke barriers. From navigating cultural differences at SACS to becoming South Africa’s first Black Test captain, his path to Lord’s has been anything but easy.
Australia, meanwhile, opted not to play a warm-up match at all, instead focusing on internal training sessions in Bromley following a team-bonding camp in Inverness, Scotland. Both teams now face selection dilemmas – for South Africa, it’s who bats at No 3, and for Australia, it’s who partners Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.
Wiaan Mulder was given a shot at No 3 in Arundel, but his innings of 28 was cut short by an lbw dismissal. Though not a natural top-order batter, his bowling may be vital to the Proteas’ balance. Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs remain in contention, though head coach Conrad and batting coach Ashwell Prince have kept their cards close.
Yet, history beckons. South Africa have only played one Test at Lord’s this early in the summer – a memorable 10-wicket win in 1998 led by Jonty Rhodes and Allan Donald. The class of 2025 will be hoping to script a similar tale, even if the build-up has been anything but smooth.