The battered and bruised hands of Dean Elgar told their own story as he stood on the outfield of The Oval following the epic finish to the third Test, with the opener’s 136 over five and half hours at the crease a brave attempt to keep alive South African hopes of a series win.
Elgar’s vigil, ended when Moeen Ali tossed one above the eye-line, teased an edge to slip and began what would prove to be a historic hat-trick, may have ultimately gone unrewarded but was a significant message to a batting line-up that had gone 11 innings without a century.
This 30-year-old had demonstrated the fighting qualities that have always run through South African cricket like words in a stick of rock, shrugging off the pain of a badly swollen left index finger that had been inflicted by Ben Stokes the previous evening and repeatedly caused him to let go of the bat handle following subsequent jarring blows.
“X-rays are a waste of money,” replied Elgar, when asked if the digit was broken and he might miss Friday’s fourth Test at Old Trafford – a match that offers the tourists a chance to square the series and to have something to show for an otherwise tough three months in the country.
“I’m still ready to play the next game. It’s part of the game, you have to roll with the punches and take the blows when they come your way. I prefer not getting hit. It puts me in a different mind-set, like the challenge is a little bit more. I guess only an opening batsman could see it that way. You have to look at the bigger picture and that’s to try and contribute in a big way.”
While he ended up on the losing side, Elgar certainly did just that. On one of those curious fifth days on which a thinned-out crowd hopes to witness an England win – but not too quickly – he would be among those to receive a standing ovation, as he hoisted Moeen over mid-off to bring up his eighth Test century and his fourth in the last 12 months.
The left-hander may be slightly easier on the eye than Graeme Smith – the former captain’s trademark shot was once described by his team-mate Herschelle Gibbs as being “the cover-drive through mid-on” – but he is cut from similar cloth, with the price he places on his wicket sitting far higher that a desire to entertain.
Nevertheless the rearguard that began in the morning unbeaten on 72 after surviving a drop at slip the previous evening, and at one stage on Monday prompted Billy Cooper, the Barmy Army’s trumpeter, to break into a rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance No4”, did include some fine straight drives and cuts among the 228 balls he faced.
His own personal satisfaction came from the battle against Stokes, however, who pounded in from the Pavilion End on the fourth evening with an already cacophonous support behind him following the all-rounder’s thrilling removal of Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis in successive deliveries.
“That’s what makes Test cricket the best,” said Elgar. “Those are the moments you watch on TV as a kid, with the crowd chanting a player’s name. As the opponent you have to try and put it on your side as well and get motivated.
“It’s a great occasion facing a guy like that,” he added. “He’s a big-match player and he’s going to come hard. It’s a great battle playing against him.”
Despite the efforts of Elgar and Temba Bavuma, with whom he shared a stand of 108, the spotlight that South Africa managed to shine on the make-up of England’s team through the 340-run win at Trent Bridge a fortnight ago has now flipped back on to the tourists, albeit with fewer resources than their hosts with which to find remedies.
Though the batting incumbents crumbled under overcast skies – Elgar’s 144 runs across the two innings was four runs more than the rest of the top six combined – Du Plessis, twice lbw shouldering arms, put the 239-run defeat mainly down to the bowling on the first day and the sickness bug that reduced the strength of Vernon Philander’s contribution throughout.
Du Plessis admitted Chris Morris struggled in Philander’s absence but he appears set to continue at Old Trafford, as does Heino Kuhn. Bar a 34 in the first innings in Nottingham that blunted the new ball, the 33-year-old has struggled to convince in his first series but the captain was quick to point out the difficulties opening against this England attack.
Elgar, sitting alongside him as he offered this assurance and with his possibly broken finger still throbbing, nodded along in agreement.
