A Test match win abroad for the Proteas is a great boost to a team that has had to rebuild in recent times, but there is still much to do.
Many of the stalwarts of the squad from just four years ago have been moved on and skipper Dean Elgar is left to marshall the young and in-form as best he can.
The most recent loss for the team was Quinton de Kock, who quit Test cricket suddenly earlier this year.
However, the circumstances will only buy Elgar a little bit of time as skipper, as the Proteas set out to compete in all three formats.
The decision to split the captaincy appears to be paying off as it’s clear to see that Elgar has spent a lot of time preparing to face England as evidenced by the tactics and particularly field settings deployed at Lord’s.
As a Test specialist, Elgar was a great choice for the role with his character also well-suited to the hard environment of the longest format.
#Proteas captain Dean Elgar spoke highly of his bowling attack after their victory at Lord's 💯#ENGvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/OAcqJnqRq1
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) August 19, 2022
Having played their way into a position to reach the second World Test Championship, the Proteas have set a high bar for themselves.
Expectations are now just that little bit higher as the Proteas should have the quality to reach the big match from this position.
The Proteas are fractionally ahead of Australia in second place, but there is a bigger gap down to third, where surprise package Sri Lanka are found.
Powerhouses England and India have misfired, and both sides have been hampered by drawn matches and over-rate penalties.
While The Proteas are likely to be pressed hard to finish in the top two and reach the championship match in England, all things considered, that is a goal they will be expected to achieve now.
The WTC might present Elgar with the opportunity to end the Proteas ICC Tournament drought, which is the mission on which this team needs to focus.
