What makes South Africa’s fast-bowling quartet the most exciting since the 1970s?

They say that batsmen will entertain the crowds whilst bowlers will win you games. Essentially, this is true but, in South Africa’s case, it is their bowlers that are not only winning their nation games but also putting on a spellbinding performance in the process. Although, it should be said that the crowd in question who they should have been entertaining could only watch on in disbelief given that the Proteas’ swashbuckling fast-bowling quartet have been wreaking untold havoc on foreign soil following a thumping win against England at Lord’s. 

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A look back at South Africa's thumping innings victory over England ???? pic.twitter.com/S2sxopi7ER— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 19, 2023

It was, of course, the first time that all four of South Africa’s frontline seamers have ever played together during the innings and 12-run victory at the Home of Cricket. Indeed, Proteas head coach Mark Boucher was finally able to call on the services of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, and Marco Jansen after a lengthy spell of injury and a conflict of schedules previously ruled out the enthralling possibility. The results, as can be observed by the comprehensive victory at Lord’s, were like nothing the cricketing world had seen for an extraordinarily long time. What then makes this four-pronged attack the most exciting since the 1970s?

Rabada the great

Kagiso Rabada is the leader of the Proteas’ quartet and is often the man to set South Africa on their way to victory courtesy of a deadly length and unplayable late away swing. As things stand, the South African’s strike rate of 40.2 is better than any bowler to have played the game of cricket who has taken a minimum of 100 wickets. Often, this is a stat that needs time to sink in given that the 27-year-old is ahead of all the greatest bowlers in the game such as Glenn McGrath, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Dale Steyn, and Curtly Ambrose. Indeed, it’s virtually impossible to put Rabada’s achievements into context at this stage of his career and it seems a certainty that this history maker is on the way to becoming the greatest fast bowler of all time. 

Our innings comes to an end on 1️⃣6️⃣5️⃣.

A five-wicket haul for Kagiso Rabada, his first at Lord's.

Live clips: https://t.co/2nFwGblL1E

???????????????????????????? #ENGvSA ???????? pic.twitter.com/6g7oCR01wd— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 18, 2023

Needless to say, with Rabada as the chief speedster of South Africa’s quartet, the good times are only to get better for Proteas fans. 

Ngidi and Jansen’s mesmerizing dovetailing 

Once Rabada has been successful in removing the top order, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen then get to work on a batting lineup that is desperate for respite. Regrettably, for the opposition, no such pause in bombardment is coming as the duo settles into a mesmerizing rhythm that gives nothing away. This miserly approach eventually forces the batsmen into false shots and, in what seems like the blink of an eye, the pair have chipped away and starved the opposition of runs, leading to another flurry of wickets. It was this extraordinary dovetailing that helped the Proteas beat then-world number one Test team India at home at the beginning of 2023. 

Nortje’s need for speed

When all else fails for the Proteas, Dean Elgar will throw the ball to Anrich Nortje who will then proceed to bowl at what feels like the speed of light. During the aforementioned Test at Lord’s, Nortje bowled the fast over recorded on English soil in the last ten years and helped lead the charge as the Proteas skittled England cheaply. This express pace from Nortje in England’s capital comes on the back of bowling the fastest ever ball recorded at the IPL when his delivery in 2020 to Jos Buttler was clocked at an eye-watering 156.22 kph on the speed gun. In short, Nortje is bowling at speeds that have rarely been seen before in the professional game, and you imagine that the Castore South African men’s team are now favorites to not only win the Test series in England but also their first ICC trophy since 1998 at the 2023 T20 World Cup. The odds, provided by Betway as of the 24th of August, do admittedly, price Boucher’s team at 9/1 which suggests that they will arrive in Australia as relative outsiders. 

However, the latest sports news headlines tell a different story and currently report that South Africa now have the most exciting bowling attack in the last 50 years. With this being the case, silverware, realistically, can’t be far away. 

#Proteas seamers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje reflect on the performance at Lord's ????

Full interview➡️ https://t.co/CtzVTWAnMy#ENGvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/Lly8lYKHir— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) August 20, 2023

In reality, South Africa could go on to win every major honor in the game over the next ten years but it will rely on this generational quartet staying fit. Indeed, with a bit of luck and the right tailwind as far as injuries and recovery go, this revered foursome could become the most devastating attack in the history of the game. 

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