Boxing Day in Durban was not one of those sun-drenched, picture postcard days that makes television audiences back in England rush to start saving for an overseas tour. Rain was a constant threat, lightning forced players from the field at one stage and there were 24.5 overs unbowled when bad light called a halt to proceedings.
Rather than climate, and in the absence of the injured Jimmy Anderson, their jealousy of South Africa could be instead drawn from the home side’s ownership of Dale Steyn, a fast bowler whose dominance on the world stage this century sees him placed not just top of his current generation but pushing hard for inclusion when the all-time XI is debated.
Only 11 minutes into the action and one of the most spine-tingling sights in cricket was already on display: Steyn, with eyes bulging, jugular pulsing and face pushing a deep shade of purple, was emitting one of his now trademark war cries after inducing Alastair Cook’s first duck of a year that has been otherwise golden.
A gyroscopic seam had kissed the Kingsmead surface, deviated off the straight and edged through to Dean Elgar at second slip. And with it seven weeks of recovery from a groin injury and doubts over the wisdom of South Africa playing their attack spearhead without a competitive bowl under his belt had seemingly evaporated.
Four balls after rain forced an hour and 45 minutes of pondering the six overs of early action, Steyn’s primal scream was to be heard once more, with Alex Hales ruing a loose drive to another seamer that AB de Villiers gobbled up like the last of the Christmas leftovers; 16 deliveries to the openers, no runs conceded, both men dispensed with.
The loudest of his screams would be reserved for his late twist two overs before the close when Steyn ended 45.2 overs and 125 runs of maddening resistance from James Taylor and Nick Compton, teasing an edge from the former on 70 for his wicketkeeper’s second helping, and ending a day of frustration for South Africa with some cheer.
For a 32-year-old feeling his way back into the groove, Steyn’s 15.1 overs, three for 29, that saw the speed gun hit 91mph at one stage also went some way to allaying fears over his fitness going into the series, while highlighting the folly of some curious whispers before the series that hinted at a bowler in decline.
If Steyn has felt dormant in recent times it is because South Africa have played just 10 Test matches since regaining their No1 world ranking in July last year. He picked up 29 wickets at 18 runs apiece in the first seven of these until his tour of India ended one innings into the series opener in Mohali; duffing up Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh rarely sends shock waves around the globe, however.
Along with his injury, his threat has perhaps also been underplayed in the buildup because of the lack of Mitchell Johnson-style damage he has previously inflicted upon England. While Richard Hadlee, Glenn McGrath and Ian Botham are the only seamers past Steyn’s 25 five-wicket hauls, only two of his have come with the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy on the line and his bowling average of 31 against English batsmen is his highest against all Test nations.
But this is also a bowler who has spent all but of three months of the past six and a half years at the top of the world rankings, with his creeping-death approach to the crease and lithe, slippery action having now accounted for 405 Test victims.
Of those with more than 100, no bowler bar England’s George Lohmann in the late 19th century betters his strike rate of a wicket every 41.7 balls.
Worryingly for England supporters, on the first day Steyn appeared to still be blowing off the cobwebs from his enforced lay-off and spent time off the field. Through the theatre he brought to the initial exchanges, and his dramatic late intervention to remove Taylor, he reminded the tourists that winning in South Africa will not happen without conquering this great fast bowler first.