South Africa’s medical team had another busy evening in Cardiff. Keshav Maharaj, back in the T20 fold after a short break, felt his groin tighten during the warm-up and was scratched a few minutes before the toss. Captain Aiden Markram confirmed after the game that the left-arm spinner should have played, only for “a niggle in the groin” to change the plan. Corbin Bosch stepped in, and South Africa edged home by 14 runs on the DLS method to take a 1-0 lead.
Maharaj’s setback arrived just hours after Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the entire three-match series. The right-arm seamer has a hamstring strain and will fly back on Thursday. With South Africa’s World Test Championship defence starting in Pakistan on 12 October, the medical staff do not want to gamble. Left-arm quick Nandre Burger has been summoned and should be available for Friday’s second game at Old Trafford.
David Miller is also off the roster. He strained his hamstring during the closing stages of the Hundred and was withdrawn on Tuesday. For now the selectors will make do with a 16-man squad.
There was, at least, some brighter news. Kagiso Rabada opened the bowling after missing the ODI legs in Australia and England with ankle inflammation. Marco Jansen sent down two overs on his first outing since thumb surgery in June, while Lizaad Williams – back from a lengthy knee lay-off – was not required with the ball but is fit again.
In short, South Africa have lost two first-choice seamers and their senior spinner inside forty-eight hours, yet still found a way to win. The next forty-eight will be spent counting ice packs and hoping nobody else limps to the treatment room.
