The Proteas will not be getting carried away with their dominating batting performance on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies at SuperSport Park on Wednesday. South Africa are in a commanding position at 340-3 at stumps, but the coach remains conscious of the amount of work required in the following days.
‘At 57 for three it didn’t look like there was any gulf between the teams, the West Indies were right in there,’ Russell Domingo said after the day’s play. ‘At 102 for four, had the bails fallen off, we would have all had said that the West Indies had had a great day.
‘We can take nothing for granted with this side, we need to make sure that we continue with the good work that these two have set up for us. By no means are we getting carried away with today’s batting performance, or the West Indies’ bowling performance. We know that there is a lot of work left in the next 14 days.’
Domingo was full of praise for Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, whose record-breaking fourth-wicket partnership further established their reputation as two of the best players on the planet.
‘We are fortunate that we have probably two of the best batters in the world in our side at the moment,’ he said. ‘Both Hashim and AB’s records are phenomenal and it’s very difficult to separate them, especially in this format.
‘AB is naturally gifted and has such good hand-eye co-ordination,’ he continued. ‘To add to that he has a good cricket brain, he understands his game, understands his technique and the biggest x-factor with both of them is that they are able to score quickly and put sides under pressure.’
Amla (133*) and De Villiers (142*) will resume the innings this morning, with a big first innings total in mind. Stiaan van Zyl will continue to bide his time for his debut innings, after becoming the 84th capped player for South Africa since re-admission.
Photo: Backpagepix
