‘Super’ status still awaits Sarel … but bank him for Lord’s Test

The jury’s out on his longer-term potential, but rookie Proteas opener Sarel Erwee has probably secured two things during the ongoing home Test series against Bangladesh.

Having shown enough to warrant making the broader squad for the glamour winter tour of England, the same arguably applies to his right to begin the three-Test series still as captain Dean Elgar’s partner at the front of the order.

Unless there is a very unlikely addition to their five-day roster in the interim, South Africa taking on England in their own landscape for the first time since 2017 is their next scheduled task in the format.

The series begins with the first Test at the home of cricket, Lord’s, on 17 August … with Erwee surely set to be pencilled alongside fellow “leftie” Elgar, now a gnarly 76-cap veteran and only raising his own game with the cares of leadership, up front.

He has used up all of his 2021/22 opportunities at the Test crease, following the Proteas’ declared second innings in the second and final Test against the Tigers at St George’s Park on Sunday, but Erwee can be described as promisingly enough “feeling his way” into the game at the highest level.

Having played a brace of fixtures each against New Zealand (away) and now Bangladesh at home, the 32-year-old first-class stalwart from Maritzburg has compiled 240 runs across eight innings at an average of exactly 30.

That is not earth-shattering, but it is also not untypical of a player still in the fledgling stages of a Test career and learning as he goes.

He has certain technical shortcomings, like a tendency to close the face of his bat and also to have awkward footwork at times outside off-stump: England with its often seaming tracks and overcast conditions is a tough place to