ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2014

South Africa in 2013/14 South Africa ended the period under review as they began it, at the head of the ICC rankings - though not without some slip-ups on the way, and without quite developing the air of invincibility that marks out the truly outstanding Test sides. They actually lost top spot in the rankings for a few months in mid-2014, but regained it at the first opportunity and held on to it for the rest of the 2014 season, though ending only a single ranking point ahead of second-placed Australia. South Africa had reached the number one position in 2012, and were unbeaten in Tests in 2012 and 2012/13. That proud record soon came to an end when Pakistan won the first match of their two-Test series in the United Arab Emirates in October 2013 - and did so surprisingly easily, mainly thanks to the superiority of their spin attack. It required major innings from Graeme Smith (234) and A.B.de Villiers (164) to turn things round in the second Test, and thus to square the series. South Africa then had to fight to secure a draw in the first Test of their subsequent two-match series at home to India, but showed their mettle by almost securing an unlikely victory after being set 458 to win. With four overs remaining only 20 were needed, with four wickets in hand; but the run out at this point of Faf du Plessis led to the chase being perhaps disappointingly called off. Early in the following Test India were 198-1, but the South African quick bowling attack of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel then seized the initiative, and their side ran out winners of the match by a comfortable ten wickets, and the series by 1-0. The crunch series against Australia - fresh from inflicting an Ashes whitewash - followed in February 2014. Each of the three Tests was won by a margin in excess of 200 runs, two by a Mitchell Johnson-inspired Australia, and only one by South Africa. This series loss alone was not enough to knock South Africa from the number one spot, but when the annual update of the rankings took place on 1 May, under which older results are dropped from the calculation and weightings are reassigned, South Africa slipped to number two behind the ever-improving Australians. But not for long. A 1-0 series win in Sri Lanka in July took South Africa back to first place, though this success was achieved only with the aid of some uncharacteristically slow scoring throughout the second Test, which they ended still over 200 runs behind with only two second-innings wickets in hand. Even a one-off Test in Harare in August was not won as easily as might have been forecast, with Zimbabwe battling hard throughout and taking the game to the final session of the fourth day. Competition for top place in the ICC rankings can only be healthy for Test cricket, and it is therefore good that South Africa’s hold on that position does not go unchallenged. Although no series between them and Australia is scheduled at the time of writing, the two teams’ results against other opponents may well see the leadership change hands again - perhaps more than once - in the coming months. South Africa’s continuing, if tenuous, hold on first place is the result of their having a well-established and well-balanced team, with some highly promising players from the fringe of the team able to slot in as needed without significantly weakening the side as a whole. In their ten Tests in 2013/14 and 2014, South Africa’s leading runscorer was the always-impressive de Villiers, who made 932 runs in these matches and was seemingly not in the least fazed by also taking on the wicketkeeping duties in most of them. Faf du Plessis contributed 704 runs and has earned a deserved reputation as a never-say-die middle order batsman, seen at his best when South African backs are against the wall. Hashim Amla scored 630 runs over the ten Tests, and also took over the Test captaincy during 2014. Leading the bowlers was world number one Dale Steyn, who took 51 wickets in the ten Tests, with Morne Morkel improving his control of line, length and pace to contribute 29 wickets as his part of the world’s leading fast-bowling attack. Others had their day too, notably J.P.Duminy who frequently contributed important lower-order 399