Paterson’s five wickets lead Proteas to solid opening day against Pakistan

A second consecutive five-wicket haul by Dane Paterson helped South Africa bowl Pakistan out for 211 runs on day one at SuperSport Park before the visitors hit back with the ball. The Proteas ended the day on 82 for the loss of three wickets.

The pitch in Centurion suited fast bowling, providing prodigious bounce as well as lateral movement. Paterson made great use of the latter while debutant Corbin Bosch used the former.

Bosch collected four wickets with his pace and bounce while Marco Jansen snared the other one, cleaning up the tail.

Kagiso Rabada was the only bowler to go wicketless, but strangely it could be argued that he was the pick of the bowlers.

The ace quick has not had much luck throughout the home summer. He’s beaten the bat more than any South African bowler across the last three matches, but the wickets column hasn’t reflected his quality.

Instead, it has been the bowlers at the other end who have capitalised, particularly Paterson.

“KG has been special even in the Sri Lanka Test series,” said Paterson after the day’s play. “He had a lot of plays and misses.

“For him to still keep on coming is good to see. [He’s] not getting down on himself, he’s still keeping his head up because it can be frustrating.”

Paterson collected five wickets, conceding 61 runs in 16 overs and bowling four maidens. This followed his five for 71 against Sri Lanka at the start of December.

“I’m drifting off into the sunset nicely,” said the 35-year-old Paterson. “I’m just happy to do well for the team and put the team in a good position.”

Fiery exchange

After being asked to bat, Pakistan survived the first hour without losing a wicket. On the one end, not being good enough to feather behind a Rabada delivery and on the other end being comfortable against a wayward Jansen.

The wickets began tumbling when the change quicks were introduced. Bosch picked up a wicket with his first delivery in Test cricket, finding the edge of Shan Masood’s bat. Masood scored 17 runs off 58 balls.

Corbin Bosch celebrates as he gets his first wicket off his first ball during his debut Test. (Photo: Christiaan Kotze /Gallo Images)

It was a delivery that was full and wide of off stump and didn’t need to be played at, which became a pattern of dismissal for Pakistan.

Babar Azam (four off 11) felt at a wide one, Kamran Ghulam (54 off 71) slogged one up in the air — both off Paterson — while Saud Shakeel (14 off six) played a shot-a-ball before edging an attempted pull shot behind off Bosch.

Ghulam was the standout batter for Pakistan before he chucked his wicket away, having played an enterprising knock.

There was a heated battle between Ghulam and Rabada after lunch.

Ghulam stopped Rabada twice in mid-runup because he was distracted by a spectator walking next to the sight screen behind the bowler.

The second time evoked an emotional response from Rabada — who was frustrated with the batter’s antics — and he had a long chat with Ghulam between deliveries.

Wicketkeeper Kyle Verryenne also got involved in a fiery conversation with Ghulam.

With the battle coming to a boiling point at the end of Rabada’s 12th over, he clipped the edge of Ghulam’s bat, but the tough chance was squandered at gully by a diving Jansen who palmed the ball away towards third man.

The runs that came off the delivery took Ghulam to his second career Test score over 50, with his first being a century on debut.

Like the batters before him, though, Ghulam also lost his wicket through poor decision-making. The attacking batter danced down the track against Paterson, who nagged at a consistent line and length all day, and hoicked at a delivery that was neatly caught by Rabada at fine leg.

Stumbling to stumps

Aiden Markram finished the day on an unbeaten 47. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images / Getty Images)

South Africa were in trouble early on with the willow after southpaws Tony de Zorzi (two off eight) and Ryan Rickelton (eight off 10) were dismissed before the team score reached 25.

De Zorzi was undone by a Khurram Shahzad delivery that jagged back considerably towards him and snuck between bat and pad to crash into his stumps.

Shahzad got Rickelton too with a delivery that went the other way and feathered his edge behind to keeper Mohammad Rizwan who took a good low catch.

Mohammad Abbas, back from a three-year hiatus, dismissed Stubbs with one of the very few deliveries that kept low on day one, contrary to the trend of the ball shooting up off a length.

Aiden Markram (47 off 67), though, looked assured at the crease while the wickets fell at the other end. The opener, who plays his domestic cricket at SuperSport Park, hit nine fours. He was at the crease with skipper Temba Bavuma (four off 23) at stumps. DM