“It’s a day I will cherish”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Temba Bavuma has revealed that England’s sledging ignited a flame inside him that drove him to become the first black African to score a Test century for South Africa.
Bavuma achieved the feat on the fourth day of the second Test in Cape Town and ended up finishing on 102 not out off 148 balls, which included 16 boundaries, before the Proteas declared on 627/7, which gave England a two-run lead heading into their second innings.
“It was words of encouragement, if I can put it politely!” Bavuma said. “The guys were coming hard but it was all in the spirit of the game and it assisted me in knuckling down – it was almost like school cricket when guys used to come at me because I was short.
“[Ben Stokes] is a tough competitor and his words fired me up a bit, but afterwards he came up to me to say well done so I respect him for that.”
Bavuma admitted that he will treasure his maiden Test century forever as he had been determined to achieve the milestone due to his place in the side being under threat following a string of under par performances with the bat.
“I can’t tell you exactly what was going through my mind but there was a lot of emotion, a lot of relief, and it’s a day I will cherish,” Bavuma, who grew up in the Cape Town suburb of Langa, said. “In the infancy of your career there is always a bit more pressure so I want to make use of the chances I have been given.
“I had been wanting to cross that first Test hundred, especially here at Newlands, my favourite ground in the world and one close to my heart.
“When I made the South Africa schools side, I realised cricket could be more than a passion and I could use it to inspire black African kids – achieving this kind of milestone will strengthen that example.
“I looked today at the kids playing mini-cricket at lunchtime – half those kids come from Langa and a lot them know my name, so when I go back to Langa I know I’ll have those kids running around me.
“It was special for my parents, too – they missed my debut game so luckily this time they were here and I’m sure it was full of emotion for them.”