Sport24 chief writer Rob Houwing (File)

Rob Houwing

I was on the point of saying how Mark Boucher had hammered in an important personal stake for the seismic trip Down Under by registering his slightly overdue fifth Test century against Bangladesh a few days ago.

But then his direct rival with the wicketkeeping gloves and in the Australian lower middle-order, Brad Haddin, promptly went and did likewise - in his case a maiden ton - against New Zealand in Adelaide.

Perhaps it was a strong mutual signal, nevertheless, that in an expected tightly-contested series both glovemen realise that the winner of their own “weight of contribution to the cause” duel may just influence the overall outcome.

Yes, it is no coincidence that both players cranked up their batting output a notch or two in separate Tests immediately preceding the first between the two traditional juggernauts at the WACA in Perth from December 17.

There is a pretty good chance, unless Australia opt to go without a specialist spinner and play both all-rounders in Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson, that as much as they battle it out for summer mastery of their proven trades behind the stumps, Boucher and Haddin will also occupy the respective No 7 batting spots for their countries (Haddin would doubtless bat at eight in the alternative scenario outlined above).

Whichever slots they occupy, both players act as important buffers between the batting cream and the tail of the order.

This may, I fear, be especially so in the South African case: our tail is the fluffier one, for all the wrong reasons, which only adds to the pressure on Boucher to come to the run-scoring and maybe sometimes strike-farming party in Australia.

Physically resurgent

A glaring reminder of this was served up even against the weak Bangladeshis at Bloemfontein and Centurion, where the Proteas Nos 8-11 managed a less-than-regal total of 15 runs between them over two innings at a piffling average of 2.14.

Bowlers like a seemingly emotionally and physically resurgent Brett Lee and left-arm slingshot Mitchell Johnson are particularly good at mowing down suspect lower orders and will have taken gleeful note, you can be sure, that the days of Kluseners, Pollocks and Symcoxes among the bottom-end Proteas batsmen are long gone.

Just imagine how irresistible the current South African batting order would be if it was backed up by the strength of yesteryear (Allan Donald apart, perhaps) at the rear end.

It is fortunate, then, that Boucher traditionally thrives on such pressure and responsibility.

He knows there is not much below him in the way of truly stout resistance and already once, famously and crucially, this year he has shielded the brittle tail from possible team calamity: his undefeated innings of 45 in a sixth-wicket stand of 112 with chief messiah Graeme Smith was priceless in sealing the series victory over England at Edgbaston.

His batting record both against Australia overall and in that country specifically in Tests is not special, falling some way below his overall average of 30.43, but he remains very much “one for a crisis” and the fluency and shot-selection in his 117 against Bangladesh was a decent sign for Down Under.

There are people who have been saying he has not made enough meaty scores of late and it is true that his Centurion ton was his first since January 2004. But statistics do not conclusively prove he has been in batting decline: his average has always tended to hover around the respectable 30 mark.

Excusable blemish

Haddin is an interesting case. He is only about a year behind Boucher in age terms, so is an experienced first-class campaigner, but had to wait in the international wings for years because of the revered presence for the Baggy Greens of one Adam Gilchrist.

It explains to a good degree why the South African - despite the odd excusable blemish, still massively dependable generally as SA ‘keeper - is so far ahead in Test cap terms: 120 plays nine!

Suddenly, though, Haddin has exploded into life as a Test batting factor at an ominously opportune juncture - his weighty 169 against the Kiwis at Adelaide was also his first score over 50 in his ninth Test.

Leading cricket scribe Peter Roebuck, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, described Haddin as a “different man” in Adelaide.

“He had been waiting in the wings almost as long as Prince Charles … shrugging off the albatross on his shoulder, a bird going by the name of Gilchrist, he decided to have a crack.

“With players of this sort, instinctive and combative, inhibition does not work. Hesitancy is their downfall. Hereafter Haddin will be seen in his true colours.”

Haddin v Boucher … another intriguing skirmish, then, in a fascinating, looming collective “war”.

Here’s a helpful little tale of the wicketkeepers’ tape for Sport24 readers:

MARK VERDON BOUCHER	BRADLEY JAMES HADDIN
Age: 32 (on Dec 3)	Age: 31
Tests: 120 (13 v Australia)	Tests: 9 (0 v SA)
ODIs: 272	ODIs: 33
Test runs: 4504 at 30.43	Test runs: 508 at 36.28
Test centuries: 5	Test centuries: 1
HS: 125	HS: 169
Test runs v Australia: 575 at 25.00	Test runs v SA: 0
Test runs in Australia: 305 at 23.46	Test runs in Australia: 194 at 64.66
Test catches: 437	Test catches: 34
Test stumpings: 20	Test stumpings: 0

  

Rob is Sport24's chief writer.

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