With South Africa playing very little Test cricket of late, centuries have been hard to come by as the batting unit has recorded only five tons since the beginning of last year. Here, Ongama Gcwabe looks at the significance of those five tons as the two-match Test series between South Africa and the West Indies gets under way today at Port of Spain.
Aiden Markram
First Test v West Indies in Centurion, February 2023 – 115: While Temba Bavuma’s second career ton sealed the series win over the Windies, it was Markram’s sixth career century that set up the series victory in the first Test at SuperSport Park. Back in the Test side for the first time since being dropped in the winter of 2022, after an extended lean period in whites, Test coach Shukri Conrad recalled Markram, restoring him to his preferred position of opening batter. Markram immediately repaid Conrad’s faith in his first innings back in the side.
Temba Bavuma
Second Test v West Indies in Johannesburg, March 2023 – 172 : Up until that sunny day at the Bullring, Bavuma had last reached the three-figure mark on his Test debut, some seven years before recording this one against the Windies to seal the series whitewash for South Africa. There was a loud roar from the Test captain as he expressed the joy of reaching the milestone on his home ground. That 172 is his highest Test score and one that ensured that the skipper opened his captaincy account with a series victory.
Dean Elgar
First Test v India in Centurion, December 2023 – 185: Before the series had begun, Elgar announced that it would be his last as the new coaching regime, under the leadership of Conrad, felt it was time to prepare for the future and blood younger opener Tony de Zorzi. Elgar scored 185 runs in that game and helped South Africa secure an innings victory against India on Boxing Day. That century remains one of Elgar’s boldest.
Aiden Markram
Second Test v India in Cape Town, January 2024 – 106: On a wicket that saw a record-breaking 33 wickets fall in two days during the New Year’s Test against India at Newlands, and one that would cop a demerit point, Markram was the only batter to produce a decent knock between the two teams. Understanding the unpredictable nature of the surface, the opener was particularly aggressive in his approach as he tried to keep South Africa in the contest. Despite losing the match and thereby drawing the series, Markram’s seventh career century was one to savour.
David Bedingham
Second Test v New Zealand in Hamilton, February 2024 – 110: Playing in his second Test series, Bedingham struck a dominant maiden century away from home against a strong Black Caps bowling attack. In an attempt to rescue the series for South Africa, Bedingham went to the middle and smashed 12 boundaries and two maximums as he recorded an impressive strike rate of 78 Down Under. That knock showed what the world should expect from the 30-year-old in Tests.