Kyle Abbott attributes the success of the Proteas to the feeling of well-being and achievement in national colours.

While the seamer has been around for some time, having made his Test debut in February 2013, he has played just 10 Tests, and three of those came in the last six weeks. He is relishing every moment.

‘Having been out of the side and sitting on the sidelines for so long and now getting the opportunity and doing well, is a great feeling. It’s a long period of time of hard work that is starting to pay off and now I am getting opportunity at this level to showcase my skills,’ he said.

‘The team is in a great space and so am I, and it’s exciting to see what’s going to come. There’s only around 90 of us or so that have played Test cricket [since unification] so I count myself incredibly lucky to have done it.’

The essence of success, he believes, is the sense of achievement and belonging.

‘When Faf [du Plessis] welcomed Theunis de Bruyn into the squad he said, ”This is where you are going to be playing your cricket and it doesn’t get any better than this”, and he is absolutely right. We are enjoying our cricket at the moment because we’ve got that attitude of this is the place we want to play, this is the place we want to perform and this is the place we want to really be tested.’

Abbott is expecting to be tested again in the second Test at Newlands, starting on Monday, where he thinks conditions on the ground will be  similar to those they found in Port Elizabeth: a generous covering of grass and not a great deal of assistance in terms of reverse swing or spin.

But nothing can diminish his enthusiasm. ‘If we have to bowl 20 overs, then we do it. That, after all, is our job. We know what to expect. I don’t wake up in the morning and say, wow, I bowled 20 overs yesterday. We just get on with it.’

Photo: Dave Hunt/EPA/BackpagePix