C365 Player of the Week: Dale Steyn

While having a look through the Player of the Week archives, dreamily remembering those magnificent moments past, it was noticed that Dale Steyn has never won our coveted award. How is that possible?

While having a look through the Player of the Week archives, dreamily remembering those magnificent moments past, it was noticed that Dale Steyn has never won our coveted award. How is that possible? It’s time to remedy that, immediately!

The Phalaborwa Express was just… well, insane, against Pakistan this weekend. His six wickets for eight runs in the first innings was a master class in pace, control, aggression, intimidating facial expressions and reducing top-order batsmen to puddles of goo.

Steyn, after the Proteas won the game by 211 runs, was modest, saying he felt he ‘bowled quite nicely’. Well, sir, a cup of tea is ‘nice’! What he meant to say was that he ‘demolished Pakistan, made them cry in the showers, and loved every second of it’.

As if going at less than one run to the over, and reducing a side to 49 all out, wasn’t enough, ‘Julio’ (Why is this his nickname? We don’t know) proceeded to add another five scalps to his victim pile in the second innings.

Pakistan needed 480 to win, but Steyn gave them no chance, using the new ball to maximum effect before lunch on day four as the visitors crumbled again. He recorded career-best match figures of 11 for 60, and bowled 11 overs in a row in his final spell.

During all this madness, while Steyn was going at over 140kph every ball, AB de Villiers equaled the record for most catches in a game. He took 11 behind the stumps, three of which were diving efforts, but if it weren’t for Steyn, he might not have reached that, as five of his catches were thanks to Steyn’s bamboozlement.

Still, let’s honourably mention AB’s efforts with the gloves, especially as he’s given a hard time about it, and also add that he made a century in the second innings to secure an unchasable target.

Elsewhere, tribute must be paid by mentioning, honourably, that Australia’s George Bailey made 125 not out against the West Indies, and then Mitchell Starc took five wickets to ensure a win for the Aussies. Starc also took a five-for in the match prior, giving the hosts a 2-0 series lead.

<b>Lindsay du Plessis</b>