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By Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – Purpose … it has oozed from every pore of the Proteas’ Ashwell Prince for two days in the third Test against a presently cowed Australia at Sahara Park Newlands.
The trend began on day one, when he and his fellow-novice as an opening batsman, Imraan Khan, strode out for South Africa’s first innings reply unusually ahead of the Aussie side – the pair were at the crease even while Ricky Ponting and company were still descending the pavilion stairs.
And there was a further mini-statement of ambition from the recalled batting stalwart in the lengthening shadows then, as he quickly took the bull by the horns against that bullying hitman Mitchell Johnson, and overnighted on a budding 37.
On Friday that intent bristled ever more profitably as Prince, assuredly aided by old master Jacques Kallis -- the man who accepted the acting captaincy for this Test after his Warriors team-mate turned it down – strode with wonderful elegance to 150.
It was his second-best score in Tests and 11th century, on a day when it could be said that there were three centurions.
The other from a batting point of view was Kallis, who was unbeaten on 102 having reached three figures for the first time in 22 Test knocks; a good monkey to brush off one’s back.
But the Aussies, on a day they might care to rapidly forget despite the dead-rubber scenario, boasted a dubious century-maker of their own in the form of twitchy leg-spinner Bryce McGain – the poor fellow was slaughtered for 102 runs in his eventful 11 overs which curiously even featured two maidens.
It was a classic case of an exponent of the leggie’s deeply complex trade getting the yips, really.
Under those circumstances they tend to “travel” and McGain’s rank long-hops and full-tosses simply cried out for over-the-ropes treatment. They got it – think McGain and think pain!
Kallis’s relish for batting at Newlands saw him register his fifth Test century at the venue, once his franchise home, and his 31st in all Tests, taking him to sixth in the list of leading ton-makers ever, having nosed one ahead of Matthew Hayden. Sachin Tendulkar is atop the temple on 42.
But on Friday was really a tale of Prince’s sizzling reintroduction to Test cricket after a layoff that was, at very least, controversial. Just about his entire innings here left no doubt about his message to friend and possibly the odd foe: I belonged in this arena and still do.
It was certainly a gorgeous innings for the purist, marked by his savage, pirouetting pulls and busy scampering whenever he steered the ball off his legs, always seeking two runs where others might settle for one.
Front-foot drives came aplenty, too, although generally not against Peter Siddle, one shining light in an otherwise extremely “difficult” day at the Baggy Greens’ bowling office.
The fluency in Prince’s play was illustrated by his balls faced: 249. A few months ago he had registered his Test best of 162 not out against Bangladesh off a not dissimilar 223 balls – and remember that the two attacks are leagues apart, save, perhaps, for the unfortunate McGain as things stand.
Prince has now notched two centuries at Newlands, the first in the funereal autumn draw against the Kiwis in 2005/06 when he batted 400 fairly ponderous minutes and faced 286 deliveries for 108 not out.
I suppose looking at those stats shows the extent to which the little left-hander has subsequently shrugged off his reputation for mild stodginess.
Truly, he can now play two types of game. Welcome back, Ashie P …
Cape Town – Purpose … it has oozed from every pore of the Proteas’ Ashwell Prince for two days in the third Test against a presently cowed Australia at Sahara Park Newlands.
The trend began on day one, when he and his fellow-novice as an opening batsman, Imraan Khan, strode out for South Africa’s first innings reply unusually ahead of the Aussie side – the pair were at the crease even while Ricky Ponting and company were still descending the pavilion stairs.
And there was a further mini-statement of ambition from the recalled batting stalwart in the lengthening shadows then, as he quickly took the bull by the horns against that bullying hitman Mitchell Johnson, and overnighted on a budding 37.
On Friday that intent bristled ever more profitably as Prince, assuredly aided by old master Jacques Kallis -- the man who accepted the acting captaincy for this Test after his Warriors team-mate turned it down – strode with wonderful elegance to 150.
It was his second-best score in Tests and 11th century, on a day when it could be said that there were three centurions.
The other from a batting point of view was Kallis, who was unbeaten on 102 having reached three figures for the first time in 22 Test knocks; a good monkey to brush off one’s back.
But the Aussies, on a day they might care to rapidly forget despite the dead-rubber scenario, boasted a dubious century-maker of their own in the form of twitchy leg-spinner Bryce McGain – the poor fellow was slaughtered for 102 runs in his eventful 11 overs which curiously even featured two maidens.
It was a classic case of an exponent of the leggie’s deeply complex trade getting the yips, really.
Under those circumstances they tend to “travel” and McGain’s rank long-hops and full-tosses simply cried out for over-the-ropes treatment. They got it – think McGain and think pain!
Kallis’s relish for batting at Newlands saw him register his fifth Test century at the venue, once his franchise home, and his 31st in all Tests, taking him to sixth in the list of leading ton-makers ever, having nosed one ahead of Matthew Hayden. Sachin Tendulkar is atop the temple on 42.
But on Friday was really a tale of Prince’s sizzling reintroduction to Test cricket after a layoff that was, at very least, controversial. Just about his entire innings here left no doubt about his message to friend and possibly the odd foe: I belonged in this arena and still do.
It was certainly a gorgeous innings for the purist, marked by his savage, pirouetting pulls and busy scampering whenever he steered the ball off his legs, always seeking two runs where others might settle for one.
Front-foot drives came aplenty, too, although generally not against Peter Siddle, one shining light in an otherwise extremely “difficult” day at the Baggy Greens’ bowling office.
The fluency in Prince’s play was illustrated by his balls faced: 249. A few months ago he had registered his Test best of 162 not out against Bangladesh off a not dissimilar 223 balls – and remember that the two attacks are leagues apart, save, perhaps, for the unfortunate McGain as things stand.
Prince has now notched two centuries at Newlands, the first in the funereal autumn draw against the Kiwis in 2005/06 when he batted 400 fairly ponderous minutes and faced 286 deliveries for 108 not out.
I suppose looking at those stats shows the extent to which the little left-hander has subsequently shrugged off his reputation for mild stodginess.
Truly, he can now play two types of game. Welcome back, Ashie P …
