Dane Paterson – Better Late Than Never

The World Test Championship victory for the Proteas on Saturday was a watershed accomplishment in South African cricket. The demons of numerous what-could-have-beens were finally exorcised, thanks to a very organised team effort with both bat and ball.

This has been the story of the whole WTC campaign for SA. Over the last two years, several players have delivered impactful performances that led to key wins, especially during the later stages.

If we zero in on the bowling, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj have, to a large extent, been the reason for a lot of the Proteas’ success in this cycle. And the stats back it up:

Rabada: 56 wickets in 11 games @ 18.73

Jansen: 33 wickets in 7 games @ 21.54

Maharaj: 41 wickets in 9 games @ 20.95

There’s never been a shadow of a doubt that the three talismanic linchpins have spearheaded many a dominant performance, but there were a few others that didn’t quite go under the spotlight. 

For instance, Lungi Ngidi played only three games in this WTC, including the final. He looked out of sorts in the first innings, but rebounded with three vital middle-order wickets in the second. 

And another quick to fall in that category was Dane Paterson. His returns during this WTC were more than respectable: 21 wickets in 5 games @ 23.33.

Unlike his pace-bowling peers, Paterson didn’t quite have a leg up when it came to speed. He’s been a solid domestic stalwart for much of his career, with a sprinkling of games for the Proteas across all formats without really securing a spot.

2024 was the year when Paterson was reintroduced to Test cricket, and his comeback to international cricket wasn’t so auspicious. He was one of several relatively less experienced names chosen for the forgettable New Zealand tour, and this was just a couple of months prior to his 35th birthday. Cricketers in that age group are often contemplating how to eventually round off their careers, but it was a resurrection for Paterson.

The majority of the players who visited New Zealand didn’t get chosen for any of the forthcoming Test series, whether it was home or away. However, Paterson was an exception here. He made the squad for all the remaining Test series and got to play again in the second Test against Bangladesh. But that wasn’t the game where he created a splash; rather, it was at home against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, where he took two 5-wicket hauls. His efforts ensured that SL wouldn’t completely whittle down their first-innings deficit, and Pakistan wouldn’t have made a score of substance in their first innings.

In a way, many of us can relate to how Paterson’s international career has gone. He began in the short formats in 2017 and played 12 games until the 2019 World Cup. His Test debut took place during an unsuccessful series against England, just before the COVID pandemic hit. Thereafter, he played three full seasons of county cricket for Nottinghamshire as their main overseas pro, and that would soon pave the way for a second chance at international cricket. He did slightly benefit from some familiarity, as Shukri Conrad – the current Proteas head coach – had overseen his development during his earlier cricketing days, but there’s never a shadow of a doubt that he put in the hard yards for higher honours.

With all things considered, only a small percentage of people have what it takes to reach the apex of the game and maintain elite consistency for several years, while others have to proactively find ways to make even a small amount of headway. Even though Paterson didn’t make the confirmed XI for the WTC final, he was still chosen ahead of younger fast bowlers due to his status as a seasoned professional with experience in various conditions. Ultimately, his persistence and perseverance were rewarded. On many occasions, good things come to those who wait, and it applied to both Paterson and the Proteas team.

Now that he’s 36 and a new WTC cycle is underway, there’s more than a genuine chance that his involvement in the Test squad could come to a stop right here. In fact, the pace attack chosen for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe has more young rookies raring to go. It might not be part of the next WTC, but the selection plan is a clear indicator of the trajectory of where the Test team will be headed over the next two years. 

Regardless, that makes Paterson’s return all the more remarkable. It all began when he answered an SOS call on short notice for the New Zealand series, and he cashed in on the handful of opportunities from that point onwards. Furthermore, he’s one of a handful of players who stayed true to the longer format of the game, while many others from his country were in demand in the franchise universe. Believe it or not, to add more context, he has never played a game in the SA20.

The superstars all got the appreciation they deserved, but this WTC win is for every player who took part in the tournament in some capacity. Paterson’s story typifies the never-give-up attitude that’s so ingrained in SA cricket. 2023 and 2024 were close finishes, but 2025 was the year when the job was done.