Verreynne charged up as Proteas eye WTC Final glory

For South Africa’s Kyle Verreynne, the magnitude of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship Final hasn’t been lost.

A two-year journey now boils down to one match on the most iconic stage in the sport. South Africa facing off against Australia at Lord’s in the Ultimate Test.

Amid the anticipation, the 28-year-old keeper-batter sees opportunity in the calm before the storm.

“It’s Lord’s. It’s an ICC final, against Australia, who have been the benchmark in Test cricket for so long. It is everything you dream of as a cricketer,” Verreynne was quoted as saying to Cricket South Africa.

“International cricket, and Test cricket especially, is very emotional. So, we were obviously on a massive high at that point, but I think the break is actually a blessing in disguise.

“This time has allowed us to take it all in, regroup and focus again on one match.”

That one match - against the reigning World Test Champions - will be a defining moment for this Proteas side, one that has quietly rebuilt under head coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma, as he terms it the best side he’s had the privilege to be a part of.

“What Shuks (coach, Shukri Conrad) and Temba (captain, Temba Bavuma) have created is incredible. They encourage each of us to be ourselves, and I think it has brought out the very best of us.”

Verreynne, who has been named in the Proteas’ 15-member squad for the Ultimate Test, has been a vital cog and his influence extends well beyond the scorecard.

With the bat, Verreynne has amassed 488 runs in 14 innings in the current cycle, with three hundreds and a fifty to his name.

It says everything about his character that one of the most memorable days of his career came during a tense win at SuperSport Park in Centurion - a game in which he hadn’t made the biggest individual contribution.

The Test series opener saw Pakistan setup a 148-run target for the Proteas to inch closer to sealing their spot at the WTC25 Final.

But the home side were in for a twist as they quickly found themselves at 19/3 and then 99/8 later on, thanks to skipper Temba Bavuma adding some valuable runs in the middle. Mohammad Abbas was Pakistan’s element of surprise that innings with a rollicking six-wicket haul before day three came to a close.

South Africa needed 32 runs with just two wickets in hand on next day’s play. As Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada fought for every run, fans and the entire South Africa dugout were glued to their seats. But Verreynne remembers something different.

“I just remember being in that dressing-room and feeling just how calm everyone was. Yes, there was tension. Yes, there was pressure. But there was just this great feeling that ‘we can do this’, and I could see it around the room,” he recalled.

The belief within the team translated into results over time as the Proteas only grew stronger over the course of the WTC cycle, winning seven Tests on the trot to seal their spot in the main event.

Verreynne, in particular, came into his own with timely performances - often in tough situations.

His match-shaping century in Mirpur, gritty knocks down the order, and an unbeaten 105 in Gqeberha are all examples of his selfless approach and situational awareness, and Verreynne is not driven, in his own words, by headlines, but by character.

“My job at six or seven is not always about scoring big runs. Sometimes it’s a quick 40 to set a target, or a fighting 30, batting with the bowlers. It is always very nice to contribute to the team and make an impact on the game.”

“To me, character is about a few things. Never giving up. Getting it done. Showing fight.”

Verreynne and the Proteas gear up for an interesting fight in testing conditions as they look to grab hold of their first ICC event title in over two decades against an Australian side that is known to step up when the conditions are the toughest.