Quickie De Lange earns Protea call-up

The South African selectors’ willingness to embrace change was never more starkly delineated than when 21-year-old Titans speedster Marchant de Lange was called up into the Proteas squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting next week.

De Lange, a genuine shock bowler, made national headlines when he took 5/56 for South Africa A vs Australia in November. Although he is raw and far from the finished product, it is a great move to draw De Lange closer so early in his career. The last time the selectors were this bold, they found Dale Steyn seven seasons ago.

The Proteas also recalled batsman Alviro Petersen to a 13-man group for the match at Centurion. Batsman JP Duminy, spin bowler Paul Harris and left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe were dropped.

The strongly built quick who made his first-class debut just a year ago, was spotted by Northern Transvaal talent scouts in Tzaneen, his home town. He is highly rated by South Africa bowling coach Allan Donald, although a thumb injury could limit his chances of appearing at his home ground at Centurion. In 14 first-class games he has taken 56 wickets at 26.

“He has impressed all with his pace and potential and he took full advantage of his opportunity against Australia for the South Africa A squad,” says head selector Andrew Hudson. “There is some doubt about whether he will recover in time from his thumb injury but, even if that is the case, he will learn a great deal just from being part of the national squad environment.”

Petersen returned after missing the drawn series against Australia. He made a century in the same South Africa A game.
Seam bowler Vernon Philander retained his place after impressive performances in his first two tests against Australia, while Pakistan-born legspinner Imran Tahir is the only specialist slow bowler in Harris’s absence. – Staff reporter, SportsCentral