Sensational Sarel Erwee helps Proteas grab initiative on day one of second Test

Day of 1 of 5: Stumps

South Africa 238/3

Johannesburg - No one saw that coming. Not the choice to bat first, nor the fact that batting, although risky in that first session, would not be as challenging as last week.

No one saw a century stand coming for the first wicket, nor an opener, playing his second Test making a hundred. Nor did anyone reckon on a return to form for the bloke batting at no.3.

That all happened on the first day of the second Test between South Africa and New Zealand on Friday. It made last week’s two and half day thumping seem barely believable.

Sarel Erwee was magnificent. His was the perfect Test match innings by an opening batter; from the watchfulness, the toughness (both mentally and physically) to finally taking advantage when conditions eased and the opposition bowlers tired.

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However what stood out initially about Erwee was his body language. It seemed like a team tactic.

Erwee would leave the ball emphatically; bat raised, rapidly removed from the ball’s path, his movement whether back or forward was decisive and he and Dean Elgar made a point of acknowledging those early successes, whether they scored a run, defended the ball or left it alone.

SENSATIONAL SAREL