South Africa Should Stick with Stiaan Van Zyl for the Final Test Against England

South Africa lost a series against England for the first time in 10 years when they were beaten by seven wickets inside three days in the third Test at the Wanderers on Saturday.

A mesmerizing spell of bowling from Stuart Broad turned the match on its head in the second session of day three, but that magic can only be used as part of the blame.

South Africa’s batting has been dismal for well over 12 months now, and they have been exposed both home and away. In India, part of their ineptitude was put down to the pitch, but in home conditions there can be no such excuses.

One of their weak points has been the opening spot. Losing two openers with 12 months will always leave a team on the back foot, but it’s South Africa’s insistence of forcing a player into a position that he clearly does not fit into that has hit them the hardest.

Stiaan van Zyl is a square peg that is being forced into a round hole. While there is no doubt that he is a talented player, he has not adapted to the role of opening as well as the powers that be have hoped he would. Van Zyl had been earmarked as a Test player after two seasons of solid showings in the domestic four-day games.

He got his chance in the middle order in 2014, when JP Duminy picked up an injury. By the time Duminy had recovered, Alviro Petersen had retired and after Van Zyl scored a century on debut, it seemed only natural to find a way to fit him into the side by slotting him into the opening role.

He had performed the role for his domestic franchise in limited-overs cricket, but doing so at Test level is a different beast. Despite his franchise and the A-team being accommodating to find a way to make him adjust, it hasn’t worked.

During this series, there have been glimpses of his talent, but not quite enough to convince anyone that he is a long-term option at the top of the order.

What damage this disastrous tour might have done to Van Zyl's future prospects only time will tell,- but there is no point in calling for reinforcements now.

There is one Test left in this series between South Africa and England, but the result has already gone England’s way. The thinking might be that if there is nothing to lose, South Africa should use this opportunity to try a few different players.

In a world where all Test-playing nations played equally, that would make sense, but the trouble for South Africa is that their next Test series is still six months away and picking a new opener will not offer much insight into what the future might hold.

There is only one viable option at domestic level. Stephen Cook, who plays for the Lions, has been notching up the big scores but has been overlooked because Cricket South Africa feel he is “too old.”

Cook managed to score some decent runs against England in a warm-up match and would have been a viable option at the top of the order if he had been selected at the start of this series. Now, though, his selection would seem like too little too late. South Africa have made their bed, they must now lie in it.

All information obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.