Anrich Nortje is finally set to pull on the boots again. The fast bowler, out of action since the IPL in May, has been named in the Dolphins squad for the opening round of the CSA T20 Challenge and, fitness permitting, should face the Tuskers at Kingsmead on Saturday.
The 31-year-old is operating without a national contract these days, so the Durban franchise moved quickly to secure his pace for the month-long competition. It is a sensible fit: regular cricket, familiar conditions, no immediate international commitments snapping at his heels.
Nortje has spent the winter recovering from a stress reaction in the back, the latest in a frustrating queue of injuries. The setback ruled him out of tours to Zimbabwe, Australia and England; his last match for South Africa remains the T20 World Cup final in June 2024. A Test recall was briefly on the cards last summer until a fractured toe – then more back trouble – shut that door too.
He squeezed in two outings for Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL, nothing more, before calling time and committing to a long rehab programme. Those last couple of weeks, he admits, have dragged.
“From a personal perspective and a group perspective it’s going to be great to get back out on the park,” Nortje said in a Dolphins statement. “I’m always positive, always motivated, and excited but when you get towards the end of rehab, you want to get going because you know what is around the corner. So the last week or two have probably been more frustrating than the other months.”
The CSA T20 Challenge runs 29 October-30 November, each Division 1 side playing everyone once, then an Eliminator and two Qualifiers before the final – an IPL-style finish in miniature. Should the Dolphins go the distance Nortje could bowl in as many as ten matches, a handy workload without overdoing it.
“It’s always been about trying to see the positives and working towards a new goal of being better than I was before so I’m really happy where I am now and it’s all about getting out there and getting some games under my belt,” he added.
The Dolphins reached last year’s final, losing to the Lions. They will hope Nortje’s extra pace nudges them one step further, and perhaps nudges him back into Proteas thinking, though neither party is rushing that conversation just yet.
