Markram last batted in England in June at Lord’s, where he led South Africa to victory over Australia in the WTC final with a sparkling 136. He didn’t have as many runs to work with this time. He therefore played with a noticeable sense of urgency.
On commentary, Eoin Morgan stated that Harry Brook had most likely experienced a “brain explosion.” Not in a physical sense, but happily. Without a doubt, in terms of cricket. There was nothing “probably” about it.
From the start, Brook wanted two. In the 14th over of Tuesday’s first ODI at Headingley, Jamie Smith courteously drove Wiaan Mulder into the covers. Smith sent his captain back because he didn’t think a second run was conceivable. The oncoming Tristan Stubbs quickly assessed the situation out in the deep and threw a precise ball to the right end, where Ryan Rickelton got the bails off deftly and Brook was nowhere to be seen.
That was the first of 64 deliveries that resulted in 49 runs and eight wickets. On their way to being dismissed for 131 in 27 deliveries—more than it would have taken to bowl a T20 innings—England stumbled into a number of other disasters.
In a stunning innings of 86 off 55 that was as graceful as it was potent, Aiden Markram demonstrated to them how they ought to have performed. With 125 balls remaining, South Africa won by seven wickets with little more.
The opponents batted like chumps, while the visitors bowled and caught like champs. Bulls**tball, rather than bazball, was the term used to describe the metaphorical explosion of brains throughout the batting crease.
Smith was the lone exception, with a calm, measured 54 off 48. Jos Buttler earned 15, and no one else earned more. Keshav Maharaj took 4/22 in 5.3 overs while playing at his most ruthless level. Mulder’s 3/33 demonstrated the effectiveness of his modified action.
On the second try, Ryan Rickelton juggled and held an expansively diving outswinger that Lungi Ngidi created, which Joe Root neatly edged. Smith was eliminated by a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch made by Corbin Bosch, who tracked down at fine leg. After holding a stinger at first slip to dismiss Jacob Bethell, Markram ended Jofra Archer’s one-ball stay by claiming another in the same spot low and to his left.
However, for the most part, England batted as though they had never put on a pair of pads before. And that, too, from a team that won their first two ODIs, defeating the West Indies 3-0 at home in May and June, with scores of 400/8 and 312/7.
South Africa had just lost to Australia by 276 runs in Mackay on August 24, their worst ODI loss to date. That performance was lessened by the reality that Temba Bavuma’s team had already secured the series, making the outcome of the game meaningless.
Perhaps Markram was aware that there was a 65% chance of rain 90 minutes after South Africa’s response began. His 11th half-century in the format, which he achieved off 23 balls, was his fastest, suggesting that he was perhaps playing at his best in ODI. Perhaps after the fast bowler’s terrible debut, the Sonny Baker hype was shown for the nonsense it is.
The 22-year-old Baker has only participated in 11 list A games before to the match, the last of which was in August 2022. Despite taking 17 wickets at an economy rate of 8.58 in 13 Twenty20 matches this year, he struggled in The Hundred, finishing 52nd on the economy rate list and tied for 65th among wicket-takers.
However, there was a lot of professional advice and excitement in the English press about the destruction Baker would cause. As it happened, to his own bowling numbers.
Nevertheless, it seemed unjust that Baker would run into Markram on this particular day. In Baker’s opening over, Markram hit three boundaries and went for 14. Markram hit two sixes and another four in his next, which soared for 20. Baker’s next over produced 10 runs after Rickelton hit two fours off it. The damage from Baker’s opening four overs reached 56 when Markram hit three more boundaries. Of those runs, Markram owned 45 of them.
Baker went wicketless for 76 in seven, becoming pallid with every thud he took. He is brave and quick, and he might still grow into a bowler of this kind. But not if he continues to hit me with loose balls as he did Tuesday.
“It was more [the latter],” Markram responded when asked by Michael Atherton if he had chosen to target a debutant or if the debutant in question had fallen short. I most certainly didn’t plan anything in advance.”
Baker wouldn’t have been able to resolve the fact that Brook appeared to smile without effort each time the cameras focused on his face in the field. A captain who appears to find that amusing, at least from a distance, is the last thing a young player being baptized by fire deserves.
When Brook called his team’s batting performance “not ideal” in a television appearance, he did himself no favors. Perhaps that’s his Yorkshire side. Perhaps he did want to be questioned while standing there. Perhaps his mind was still blowing up.
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