Marco Jansen’s thunderous 33-ball sequence: 7 wickets, 9 runs, Lankans in trouble | Cricket News
Does Thursday’s Durban mania elevate Marco Jansen’s pedigree in the international bowling space as a menacing, unplayable beast when at his best?All-time batting lows have been the flavour of late in Test cricket. Sri Lanka’s precipitous collapse for 42 all out at Kingsmead also impressed that Jansen can be as good a rhythm bowler as any, even if he may not have channelled the consency factor yet. The 6-foot-9 left-armer’s 7-for may have passed on memories of Mohammed Siraj’s Lanka dahan last year.
Jansen, though, is getting steadier even if his latest haul might not be his most skilful work. The seven-wicket sequence comprising three bowled, one caught-and-bowled, and one caught at first, second and third slip each, would rank as a significant numerical hallmark. It also prompted Jansen’s compatriot Rassie van der Dussen, who last played a Test in 2022, to write on social media: “South Africa is the toughest place to bat in Test cricket. Change my mind.”
South Africa’s Marco Jansen leaves the field as he holds the ball after taking seven wickets during the second day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Fast 7
Jansen’s incredible burst packed Sri Lanka for 42 in only 13.5 overs (83 balls), making it the second shortest completed Test innings in hory and the lowest in 100 years since South Africa’s capitulation in England in June 1924 (30 all out in 7.5 overs).
The innings also marked the fourth sub-50 total for visiting teams in South Africa, the most for any country in the 21st century. Jansen picked up his first off his eighth delivery. 33 balls later, he was leading his side off the field with the best figures (7/13) a South African pacer this century.
South Africa’s Marco Jansen, left, celebrates with teammates after Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka’s out for 3 runs during the second day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, (AP)
Jansen’s spell was the joint-quickest in deliveries to reach seven wickets a bowler in an innings, matching Hugh Trumble’s 41-ball 7-fer for Australia in the Ashes in 1904. He may not have dismayed the opposition quite like Curtly Ambrose during his famous 7/1 sequence in Perth (he was 0/24 before scalping his first wicket), but Jansen’s 7/9 (excluding extras) will also rank among the best Test bowling sequences for anyone who’s picked as many in an innings. Fourth-best a pacer, in fact, and the fastest since Ambrose’s WACA massacre in February 1993.
Best recorded 7-wicket Test sequences pacers
7/9 – (25 balls) Monty Noble 7/17 – Aus v Eng, 1901/02
7/2 – (28 balls): George Lohmann 8/7 – Eng v SA, 1895/96
7/1 – (30 balls) Sarfraz Nawaz 9/86 – Pak v Aus, 1978/79*
7/1 – (32 balls): Curtly Ambrose 7/25 -WI v Aus, 1992/93
7/9 – (33 balls): Marco Jansen 7/13 – SA v SL, 2024*
• – excluding wide, no-balls
Levelling up with Steyn, Rabada
While consency can almost instantly pull Jansen to the top seam-bowling bracket today, his fledgling career is far from middling, jostling between good and great. The 24-year-old went past 50 wickets with the seven-for in his 23rd innings, moving up to 56 scalps with a 20.17 average. That puts him on par with South Africa’s four-best pacers this century. His teammate Kagiso Rabada, north of 300 scalps, reached 50 in his 22nd innings. Jansen drew level with SA’s highest-wicket taker, the legendary Dale Steyn who got his 50th in his 23rd innings. He ranks ahead of Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini, who got theirs in 29 and 32 innings respectively.
Kagiso Rabada in action
The strike rates are holding pretty well – Jansen’s 36.08 is the second-best of all time (min. 2000 balls bowled). He would, however, be modest about it in the company of Rabada, who boasts an astounding 38.47 SR for his 314 wickets. So quite fairly, the coast is clear for Jansen to tap greatness. It helps one way when countrymen like van der Dussen, openly admit to the batting challenge in their backyard.
Jansen and South Africa’s best this century
Player
Innings to reach 50 Test WKTs
WKTS after corresponding match
Career wickets
Career SR
Career Average
Vernon Philander
13
51
224
50.8
22.32
Kagiso Rabada
22
58
314*
38.4
21.46
Marco Jansen
23
56*
56*
36
20.17
Dale Steyn
23
51
439
42.3
22.95
Morne Morkel
29
53
309
53.3
27.65
Makhaya Ntini
32
54
364
52.7
28.93
Batting deathbeds
The numbers have dwindled considerably in South Africa, with the country being the harshest on batters outside the spin quagmire in India. Since the inception of the World Test Championship, batters have averaged 25.50 per wicket in South Africa across 16 Tests, bettered marginally batting in India at 27.97.
South Africa’s Marco Jansen, right, with teammates leaves the field as he holds the ball after taking seven wickets during the second day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa. (AP)
Visiting top-order batting (1-4) averages have collapsed to 27.35 in this period, considerably lower from the overalls of 32.93 in 251 Tests. The middle-order (5-8) runs have been vital in this time for travelling units, with as many centuries (4) coming from their bats as the top four – only five runs separating the two sets of batters on average.
The spicy decks can also backfire on the hosts, like when India pulled off a seven-wicket win in Cape Town earlier this year in the shortest-completed Test, with an outright result in 106 overs. As Jansen and Rabada will likely breathe more fire before New Year (two Tests each vs SL and Pak lined up), the only glaring deterrent in South Africa’s quest for reaching their maiden WTC final is going to be their own wavering willows.
Jansen bowling sequence: 0, 0, 0, Wd, 0, 0, 0, 0, Nb, W, 0, 0, 1, 0, Nb, 0, W, 0, 0, 0, 0, Nb, W, 0, 3, 0, 1, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, W, 0, 0, W, 0, 0, W, 0, W
