- Ottneil Baartman is the latest from the Klein Karoo region that’s starting to churn out quick bowlers
- He’s a steady operator who’s moved from the Knights to the Dolphins
- From a depth building perspective, he’s become part of SA’s fast-bowling rebuilding project.
If the South-Western Districts and Oudtshoorn have been firmly looked at as Ostrich and Cango Caves country, this may need to change a bit, especially with the pacemen the region is unobtrusively producing.
While Glenton Stuurman unfortunately having to cool his heels for the better part of the home international summer before injury got in the way, there’s the small consolation of his slightly younger homeboy Ottneil Emile Graham Baartman breaking into the Test squad for the Pakistan tour later this month.
Should the 27-year-old be fortunate enough to get a crack into the match-day 11 for the first Test in Karachi on January 26, which looks unlikely considering how the Test bowling attack fared in the Sri Lanka series despite the glaring lack of Test experience, he will have completed a round six years of first-class cricket since he made his bow for SWD against North-West in Potchefstroom.
Like most debuts, he was unremarkable, returning match figures of 1-107 in 29 overs in a high scoring draw.
However, it’s been the bulk of the work he’s done at the Knights and the Dolphins as a highly calibrated opening fast medium bowler that’s caught the eye of the selectors.
While squads have to be justifiably big to combat Covid-19 outbreaks as bio-secure environments and isolation periods on arrival means the jetting in and out of players becomes a problem, it also affords fringe players an opportunity to gel with senior squad members.
Fast bowling and its mechanics are intensive and impactful on the body, meaning the opportunity for play can always be created by injury.
The ongoing Test series between India and Australia is just one example, with the former burning through its fast bowling resources with one more match to play in what has become an engrossing series.
Back to Baartman, 28 First-Class matches over five years doesn’t sound like a lot, but he has featured regularly in franchise matches.
His last outing was the Covid-19 curtailed Titans/Dolphins game at SuperSport Park where he took 1/56 in 15 overs.
One profitable season for him was the 2018/19 campaign where he collected 17 scalps at 22.76 in five matches for the Knights
82 wickets at 26.84 with an economy rate of 3.18 speak of an ability to attack and defend assuredly.
It’s a necessity on the sub-continent; especially against a Pakistan side who’s batting misfired badly in New Zealand.
Mount Maunganui and Christchurch are moons and mountains apart from Karachi and Rawalpindi and it’s still winter in Pakistan.
It’s a time where fast bowling can, for some stretches of the game, still have a say.
Pakistan’s batting group was shorn of Babar Azam’s batting talents, but with less bounce and lateral movement, they become a different breed at home where inexperienced fast bowlers become cannon-fodder.
The depth-building in South African fast-bowling is continuing at good speed and once South Africa A get an opportunity to play, the competition for places will be very healthy.
Players like Baartman, who give their all week in and out for their franchises, will be the biggest winners of these tour experiences.
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Article source: https://www.news24.com/sport/cricket/proteas/heres-ottneil-emile-graham-baartman-another-klein-karoo-region-paceman-20210108