Esterhuizen shines as debutants help secure series against Black Caps

The Proteas showed off the depth in the South African domestic system — boosted by the elevated standards of the SA20 — to claim a 3-2 series win against New Zealand in Christchurch, which stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj described as “super special.”

In fact Maharaj, made the word “super” a prefix for almost everything about the team’s come–from-behind series triumph. He was also “super-pleased,” and “super-happy,” about an outcome that saw a side, featuring five T20 International debutants, dominate the last two matches of the series.

One of those rookies, Conor Esterhuizen, walked away with the player of the series award, scoring two half-centuries in the fourth and fifth matches, with his 75 off 33 balls on Wednesday the foundation for South Africa’s excellent total of 187/4.

“I was fortunate to spend time with him [at Pretoria Capitals] during the SA20. He’s a real hard worker, a good kid, there’s not many [who can] hit shots like that, he’s a sweet timer of the ball,” said Maharaj.

The 24-year-old Esterhuizen finished the series with an aggregate of 200 runs, scored at an impressive strike rate of 145.98. “The nice thing was I got to play with freedom and express myself,” said Esterhuizen.

“It means everything and it’s a pinch-me moment to play for your country. There are a lot of things that stand out. I loved this series and I loved the country of New Zealand.”

In addition to the player of the series trophy, Esterhuizen also returns to South Africa with one of Maharaj’s bats, a prize for winning a bet with his captain. “I told him if he gets 75 today he can have a bat. He’s followed me around all day and just took one of the bats out of my bag,” Maharaj said.

“Today’s knock summed up the calibre of player he is. Hopefully he gets noticed in other formats for South Africa.”

The South Africans displayed remarkable resilience in the past fortnight. After starting with a nervous victory in the opening match, they were soundly beaten in games two and three. “There was a real hunger and desire after going 2-1 down. To bounce back the way we did is absolutely phenomenal,” said Maharaj.

“There’ve been a lot of good chats, but to see the response to those chats and to put in dominant performances in games four and five has been most impressive for me.”

Gerald Coetzee, after a protracted period out of the national team because of injury, finished as the leading wicket-taker with eight and received able assistance from Ottneil Baartman, who missed out on World Cup selection, and took seven wickets against the Black Caps.

Besides Esterhuizen, the other standout performer among the rookies was Nqobani Mokoena, who was player of the match on debut, while Dian Forrester, who shared a crucial partnership worth 63 with Esterhuizen on Wednesday, gradually grew in confidence throughout the tour.

“A lot of people run away from pressure, but the guys really embraced everything and found a way to get going,” said Maharaj.

“Those debutants showed why they are here. I’m super-pleased and super-happy for them. Hopefully they go back to their franchises and put in more of those performances.”