SWD batter Jean du Plessis put in a statement knock for South Africa A against their India counterparts to back up some excellent domestic form and make a case for his inclusion in the squad to tour New Zealand.
South Africa A’s first unofficial Test match against India A ended in a draw as a reasonably flat pitch gave neither side much to work with.
Du Plessis is one of a number of prospects jammed into the South Africa A squad and caught the attention with a patient hundred that suggests he has the match awareness to be a Test star.
His path to the national team might be a little obscured by him playing for a less fancied union that competes in the second tier of red-ball cricket in South Africa.
Still, Du Plessis has been in impressive nick of late, snatching plaudits for his efforts against Border at the beginning of November when he followed up a career-high score of 203 with an unbeaten ton. Only Adam Bacher and Herschelle Gibbs have achieved this feat in the past in South African First-class cricket.
Du Plessis played his best cricket against India A in a sizeable left-right partnership with North West wicketkeeper batter Rubin Hermann.
Reaching the crease at 72 for 2, Du Plessis and Hermann shared an 80-run stand before the former went on to take South Africa A beyond the 300 mark.
His 106 off 213 balls was his seventh first-class century in his 56th knock in red-ball cricket. He also backed that up with an unbeaten 50 as South Africa A batted out the final day.
The South African A team is being led by Bryce Parsons, the former under-19 skipper, and another highly-rated prospect.
After a first-day washout, a result in this match was always unlikely but the insights gained could yet be valuable to the national cause.
