‘Scholesy’ steps up: Verreynne ready to deliver for Proteas on Lord’s stage

In every sporting team, a player feels most welcome when they have been handed a nickname that speaks to their character. For his sins, Kyle Verreynne has been dubbed ‘Scholesy’ by his teammates.

The reference to the ginger hair is obvious, but what set Manchester United legend Paul Scholes apart from many other midfielders was his ability to step up when it mattered most. The century in the searing heat of Dhaka, Bangladesh, last October, as well as the two half-centuries in tough conditions against a potent Australian attack three years ago, have earned Verreynne the respect of his teammates.

At Lord’s, on the ultimate stage of the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the Proteas will be looking to their ‘Scholesy’ to rise to the occasion.

“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,” he said.

Verreynne notes that the environment in which he and his teammates currently operate under coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma is the best he’s ever been involved in at the national level. “What Shuks and Temba have created is incredible. They encourage each of us to be ourselves, and I think it has brought out the very best of us.”

It is no coincidence that the consistency of the man behind the stumps has come at the same time that the team’s fortunes have gathered momentum. Over the years, the best South African sides have had a trusted gloveman at the very heart of the team.

More than just making the team feel at ease, Conrad specifically called his keeper aside during the tour of the West Indies in August last year.

“He basically told me that he and the coaches backed me. That backing just gave me so much confidence, and allowed me to focus on my job,” he admits.

“Shuks often says he doesn’t care how it looks, as long as it gets the job done. And, if you look at this team, there are a lot of guys whose main goal is just to get the job done.”

With the gloves or the bat, he is certainly one of those, too. Verreynne has made a happy habit of scoring runs at exactly the tempo the team requires.

“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.”

This adaptability is a hallmark of the selfless approach that he has brought to the side. Sometimes misunderstood, the 28-year-old notes his own list of attributes that he tries to bring to the Proteas table.

“To me, character is about a few things: never giving up; getting it done; showing fight.”

Over the last two years or so, the Proteas have relied on each other to get the job done, across the world and against the odds. By the time the Proteas arrived in Bangladesh, destiny was in their hands to secure a berth in the WTC final. Having seen the bowlers blow away the hosts for 106, Verreynne’s critical century in Mirpur (114) set up a clinical, seven-wicket triumph.

His range of stroke play and confidence against the turning ball have added steel and unorthodox skill to the middle order, and he relishes the challenge each encounter brings.

While Verreynne lists SuperSport Park as one of the great days of his career, he also enjoyed a few more during the last South African summer. His terrific, undefeated 105 in Gqeberha set the Proteas on their way to a tough win over plucky Sri Lanka, in a Test they had to win. Even more special, though, was a century at his beloved Newlands against Pakistan at the beginning of the year.

“I’ve grown up in Cape Town, and Newlands is obviously so special to me. As a team, that was probably our most complete performance, and it is something that I will remember for quite some time,” he concluded.