SA in Australia
Tsotsebe to make ODI debut
2009-01-29 07:51
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Brothers in arms ... Lonwao Tsotsobe and Makhaya Ntini (Gallo Images)
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Christo Buchner
Perth – South Africa’s cricket team achieved a number of historic firsts on their tour of Australia.
On Friday the list will get even lengthier when a South African team fields two left-arm seamers for the first time in the international arena since the country’s return from sporting isolation.
Two Warriors from the Eastern Cape, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell, will be rewriting the history books.
Left-arm seamers have been a rarity in South African cricket.
Brett Schultz, also from the Eastern Cape, and Charl Willoughby, of Western Province, were the only two since South Africa’s readmission.
There have also not been many instances in Test cricket where left-arm seamers have opened the bowling for South Africa.
One of the few times was South Africa’s very first Test in 1889 (against England in Port Elizabeth) when Gustav Kempis and Charles Vincent shared the new ball in the second innings.
It now looks though as if Morné Morkel will share the new ball with Tsotsobe.
Just as his big friend and mentor on tour, Makhaya Ntini, Tsotsobe is making his international debut at the WACA.
A proud Ntini smiled broadly on Wednesday and told Tsotsobe he should remember only two things: “Your feet and your head. Your feet should stay on the ground and your head clear.”
South African bowling coach Vincent Barnes said Tsotsobe “is an exciting bowler with lots of pace and also swings the ball away from the left-handers. It makes him a dangerous weapon.”
Proteas team:
Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Neil McKenzie, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Albie Morkel, Morné Morkel, Johan Botha (captain), Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Match starts at 06:30 on DSTV SS 2.