Cape Cobras star Wayne Parnell couldn’t have chosen a better time to remind the national selectors of his ability as a left-arm swing bowler.
|||Cape Cobras star Wayne Parnell couldn’t have chosen a better time to remind the national selectors of his ability as a left-arm swing bowler.
With the Proteas’ bowling attack under fire after a poor summer of cricket that ended in yet another World Cup failure in the ICC World T20 last week, the South African team is in need of some rejuvenation with the ball, and especially in the pace department.
Only Kagiso Rabada has really enhanced his reputation in that regard, and even he came in for some serious tap in India over the last few weeks.
So, what better than to see an international class left-arm pace bowler (and possible all-rounder) take seven wickets in an innings for his franchise, and that is exactly what Parnell delivered in a career-best performance for the Cobras in their second-last Sunfoil Series match of the season against the Dolphins at Newlands on Thursday.
Opening the bowling alongside Proteas Test star Vernon Philander, who made his return after nearly four months out with an ankle injury, the 26-year-old Parnell – who has played in four Tests, 46 ODIs and 35 T20Is – started the rot for the Dolphins in the fourth over of the day as he bowled Sarel Erwee for five.
Philander followed it up by getting rid of Dolphins captain Imraan Khan for seven in the same manner, which reduced the visitors to 19/2 in the seventh over.
The KwaZulu-Natal side picked a number of youngsters in a new-look team under new caretaker coaches Yashin Ebrahim and Roger Telemachus after Lance Klusener was sacked recently, and needed to rely on stalwart left-hander Vaughn van Jaarsveld to rescue the situation.
He added 72 runs for the third wicket with Senuran Muthusamy to add some respectability to the score. But Parnell came back to get rid of Muthusamy (21) and Sibonelo Makhanya (0) in successive overs, and then landed the major blow when he had Van Jaarsveld caught behind by wicket-keeper Dane Vilas for 58 off 85 balls (10x4).
Parnell took another three scalps to end with 7/51 off 15 overs, his best first-class figures, which surpassed the previous mark of 7/56, and he is likely to go past his best match analysis of 8/102 by taking two wickets in the second innings.
Some impressive hitting from fast bowler Craig Alexander took the Dolphins past the 150 mark as he smashed 54 off 35 balls (7x4, 3x6) before Dane Piedt (2/23 in 7.3 overs) wrapped up the innings to dismiss the visitors for 183 in 46.3 overs.
Philander got in a good 11-over shift and ended with 1/20.
The Cobras lost openers Andrew Puttick (16) and Simon Khomari (15) to Alexander (2/11) before the close, and crawled to 67/2 in 35 overs, with Stiaan van Zyl unbeaten on 14 and captain Justin Ontong on 18 not out.
ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za
@IndyCapeSport - Independent Media
