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Smith wants to take his game to the next level
Barnes upbeat about presence of Parnell, Philander in England prior to SA’s UK tourStatistically speaking, most players would be satisfied – even exhilarated – by a season return of 500 four-day runs and 20 wickets in their first full franchise season.
Not Jason Smith, though. The 22-year-old batting all-rounder of the Cape Cobras is slightly disgruntled with his own season. Sure, he enjoyed the century off 88 balls against the VKB Knights, but laments the fact that he did not convert three half-centuries into big tons.
“If I had capitalized on good starts, I could have moved closer to the 700-run mark for the season,” he said.
Smith said the Cape Cobras possess almost the perfect environment for a younger player like him to excel in and to move to the next level in four-day and one-day cricket.
He said Andrew Puttick would come to him or any younger player after a soft dismissal and discuss a possible different option.
Stiaan van Zyl, similarly, is keen to discuss the technique and approach to the game with younger evolving players and impart knowledge with them.
“Justin Ontong is similar. He is almost like a batting coach and helps the younger players,” he said.
Ontong was captain of the SA ‘A’ team for a prolonged period in which South Africa twice defeated Australia ‘A’ and drew against a top-order heavy India. He was also skipper of South Africa in a T20 International against the West Indies in Durban in 2015.
Smith said he prefers to play the ball as late as possible, to drive it when it is under his nose. He also likes it when fast bowlers play so-called chin music and tempt him with bouncers.
“But I don’t try to overthink it and get too involved,” he adds.
“One of my dreams this season is to get into the South Africa ‘A’ team. Obviously I would like to take it from there.
“If given a choice, I would prefer to bat at number four,” said Smith, who was one of the major success stories of the national academy in-take in 2016.
A former South African U19 member, Smith says he would like to add a yard of pace to his bowling. “That would be perfect,” he added.
Smith fulfilled the role of fourth seam bowler with distinction. He swung it, used the off-cutter expertly and also did not allow the opposition to transfer the pressure.
Smith says he will join the Sport Skills for Life Skills programme (SS4LS) at the University of the Western Cape in the off-season of 2017 and enrol in a B.Comm degree.
“I was not the hardest academic worker at Wynberg Boys’ High, but I did get the desired results and would like to complete my degree in the designated time frame,” he said.
Under the astute leadership of Nicolas Kock, executive director of the SS4LS programme Prof Johann Graaff, the University of the Western Cape have produced excellent cricketers, superb leaders and close to 120 graduates since the inception of the holistic programme.
It is likely to benefit Smith, who has made rapid strides for the Cape Cobras since scoring a 50 in his first Momentum One Day Cup match for the franchise two seasons ago.
He hopes Wayne Parnell can rediscover more pronounced swing consistently, but he is very impressed with the pace and control of the rejuvenated bowling all-rounder after Parnell earned his international re-call in 2016, said Vincent Barnes, CSA coach at the High Performance Centre.
Parnell, senior stalwart of the Cape Cobras, will represent Kent in the South African off-season.
“I have no doubt he will receive a call-up for the South African team for the ICC Champions Trophy and possibly also play test cricket.
“It is ideal that he represents Kent, because I feel, with Wayne, it affects him when he sits on the sidelines. When he represented the Cape Cobras for a full season, it made a massive difference,” said Barnes.
“To me, Wayne is a strike bowler who should open the bowling, operate at 142 km/h, hit the right areas and operate with good control,” he said.
Barnes says he hopes he rediscovers pronounced swing more consistently, but he has spoken to Parnell and the bowler is very happy about the current status quo.
“Wayne can use bounce very effectively not only as a dot ball, but as a way to remove batsmen,” he said.
Injuries have hampered Parnell in the past, affecting his landing position, while his absence from the playing field while sitting on the bench has adversely affected his form.
In his first full domestic season back in 2015/2016, Parnell produced three successive five-wicket hauls for the Cape Cobras in the last two Sunfoil Series matches of the season. It included a magnificent 7-51 at PPC Newlands against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins.
Barnes said the presence of the Cape Cobras’ fast bowler Vernon Philander for Sussex is an ideal move, as he will be in England where South Africa will play in 10 international games from May to August, including four tests.
Probed about the pace of Philander, which was a talking point in the final Test against New Zealand when the former South African captain, Kepler Wessels, was slightly concerned that Philander was operating at 125 km/h and not at an ideal speed of 130 km/h or faster, Barnes said he is not alarmed at all.
“Look, Vernon is a very clever bowler who assesses conditions fast on different tracks and knows what is needed to remove batsmen. Of course he can bowl in the 130’s, there is no doubt at all about that fact,” Barnes said.
Philander will be a vital cog in the South African attack. He nipped out 5-30 in the third test at Lord’s in 2012, a factor which swayed things in the Proteas’ favour decisively.
Barnes said Rory Kleinveldt, at the back-end of a very successful career, will obviously manage himself well while representing Northamptonshire. “I thought the Cape Cobras managed him well while he was playing in Cape Town and not expecting him to play in five consecutive four-day matches.
“He swings it, bowls in excellent areas and is a very experienced bowler. But he needs to look after his body well while in England,” he said.
Stiaan van Zyl, who struck three centuries while carving out 709 runs for the Cape Cobras last season, will play for Sussex as a Kolpak signing, and one of the questions on every Cobras’ fan’s lips will be whether he will score a 1000 runs in the county series.
Richard Levi will represent Northamptonshire. The burley opener struck 412 runs in the Momentum One Day Cup series, but the big focus this season will be on the first-class knocks.
Levi averaged 46.50 for Western Province in the previous season in the Sunfoil Three-Day Cup. It included a sensational 144 off 184 balls with sixteen fours and five sixes.
If Levi can continue the prolific form he demonstrated in white-ball cricket in the first-class season in Engand, it will offer the Cape Cobras’ selectors more options at the top of the order in the Sunfoil Series.
The left-arm spinner George Linde will play club cricket for Biddestone Cricket Club in Chippenham, England, in the off-season.
The seam bowler Tshepo Moreki is destined to have surgery on a troublesome foot injury. The talented seam bowler will return to the fray later in the off-season.
The Cape Cobras’ players Aviwe Mgijima, Dane Piedt, Linde, Jason Smith and Kyle Simmonds will attend a spin camp in Mumbai in India. Shukri Conrad and Robin Peterson will be part of the South African management team that will take the players through their paces from 30th April to 7th May in India.