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jp duminy
Duminy’s catch
By Will last year, mid-January, 3 Comments »
There’s nothing I like more than a really good catch. Yorkshire puddings; sunny winter days; the bosom of one’s family. Yes, they’re all shit compared a really good catch.
And JP Duminy’s today was one of the very best, for a number of reasons. It was at night, under a black sky, with floodlights obscuring his vision. He had to run, oh I don’t know, maybe 20 yards at full pelt. The ball was hit over his head, so he was running backwards and therefore blind. He had a cap on (I could never field in a cap for this very reason) and couldn’t see the ball until the very last second, when he still had some yardage to make up, so he dived forward. A top piece of sport and entertainment.
If ever there was an example of someone taking his chances (that works metaphorically as well as the obvious literal pun. Thanks), it’s that catch by Duminy. South Africa’s tour of Australia has been all the richer for him realising his immense ability.
** There are some disgustingly flaky videos of the catch on Youtube, most of which have been uploaded by some freeloading twit attempting to advertise his silly little website, so I’ll let you try and find it when a proper one surfaces
3 Comments »JP Duminy – a class act
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-January, 2 Comments »
Yes, Australia may have handed it to South Africa in both Twenty20 games. But at least JP Duminy is still dominating the frail Aussies. His innings today of 69 not out off 41 balls underlined his class in the shorter form of the game and continues his extremely impressive run of scores Down Under.
For Duminy, this tour has certainly been a breakthrough for him. Making only a single on Test debut in Perth, he followed it with an impressive unbeaten fifty in the successful run chase, giving solid support to centurion AB de Villers and guiding the Proteas to an historic win. And as if that wasn’t enough, he blitzed the Australian attack all over the MCG in the next Test, making a fantastic 166, batting with the tail. That innings dragged South Africa back into the game, having been pretty much out of it when he came to the crease.
Duminy had a quiet final Test but by then he had already impressed all the right people. His classy stroke-play is what draws most to him and the way in which he has accumulated his runs proves he has a fantastic temperament, well suited to Test match cricket. However, he can still perform in the limited overs arena with a bold 78 in the first T20 match followed by today’sinnings. He has five more one day games to continue being a thorn in Australia’s side.
Duminy looks to have a great future before him. He appears to have already ousted Ashwell Prince from the South African middle order and if he can replicate his Australian success when the Aussies come back for the return series, then he’ll surely be well placed to be one of the world’s best batsman for years to come. Well played, indeed.
2 Comments »Duminy! Steyn! South Africa!
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of December, 23 Comments »
Whisper it, but I might be turning into a bok fan. This is deeply embarrassing for a multitude of reasons and excuses, most obviously the fact that I abhor most of their sporting sides for being either really good, or thinking their better than they actually are.
But the situation in Melbourne gives me little choice. I’m just going to have to sing South Africa’s praises. JP Duminy cracked 166, in only his second Test, and Dale Steyn made 76 batting at No.10. They began the day 196 runs behind but Duminy and Steyn put on 180 – the third-highest ninth-wicket stand in history. This is truly monstrous.
This all but condemns Australia to second-place in this series, and possibly in the world rankings too. What a day. Can’t wait for the highlights.
23 Comments »