Africa-Press – South-Africa. Kwena Maphaka finished matric last year, but cricket’s school of hard knocks provided more lessons for the 19-year-old in the first Test in Bulawayo that will demand he shows patience but also puts in even more work.
The trouble with doing the latter is the sport’s jam-packed schedule which, for a new fast bowling talent, means that in 2025 the route to the top of the game involves a very different journey than it did for a teenage fast bowler starting a career in 2005.
Maphaka played in just his fifth first-class match last week. It was also his second Test and his 13th match this year, of which 11 were T20s.
“He’s involved worldwide in leagues and plays a lot of T20 cricket, so when it comes to Test cricket it involves a different way of approaching your bowling,” Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha said on Friday.
Maphaka had an inauspicious outing in the first Test conceding 80 runs in 22 overs across the two Zimbabwean innings and finishing the match wicketless.
In an otherwise excellent outing for an inexperienced Proteas attack, Maphaka was disappointing and Botha admitted the young bowler was down in the dumps.
More importantly however, Maphaka was also keen to take the lessons out of the first Test, and has been locked in discussions with Botha and trained harder for the second match that starts on Sunday.
“Ultimately as a coach you can do a lot by talking to a person, working with him technically, but he needs to pick up experience — which goes for everyone. You learn as you play. For him, it’s about getting a lot more four-day and five-day cricket under the belt, and then he will improve.
“As he goes through different experiences he will also work things out for himself and we can talk through things. It’s about that exposure, making sure he learns as he goes and making sure he picks up his confidence as he goes,” said Botha.
Maphaka lacked rhythm in both innings, the result of a lack of match time this year. It’s not as simple as picking him for every match either. Last season, his provincial side, the Central Gauteng Lions, were deliberately cautious because he was completing his matric exams.
He played in seven T20 Challenge matches, but just one first-class game.
The problem arises when he is out of South Africa, as was the case with the IPL, where he featured twice for the Rajasthan Royals.
There Maphaka needs to balance the demands of the franchise, with his own growth and it can be difficult for a young player especially, in an environment which is as intense as the IPL.
Playing more first-class matches can be difficult too, especially in South Africa. Numerous coaches, including Shukri Conrad, have criticised a schedule which last season saw provincial teams play only seven matches in the Four-Day Series.
Cricket SA has tried to supplement that by organising more SA A tours and it was for SA A that Maphaka made his first class debut in Sri Lanka two years ago.
One of the most important lessons is consistency, said Botha, who used the adage of hitting the top of off stump as a part of his bowling that Maphaka needs to improve.
“Kwena, because he has pace and you’re playing on good wickets generally in Test cricket, if you get it slightly wrong the batters will get on top of you. He understands that, we’ve spoken about it and worked out some training methods for him.
“It’s basically about getting your body conditioned for bowling that disciplined line and length for long periods. And to do that you need to play a lot of cricket.”
Maphaka continues to have the management’s support and with Lungi Ngidi no longer needed for the second Test, will continue to lead the attack at the Queens Sports Club.
Having watched teammate Codi Yusuf claim six wickets in the first match and Corbin Bosch picking up a second innings five-for, Maphaka has no shortage of motivation to draw on.
“It’s about him getting his mind in tune to practise well and bowl quickly,” Botha said of his young charge.
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