Bouch deserved a fairytale ending

TAUNTON, ENGLAND – JULY 9: Mark Boucher of South Africa is hit in the face by a bail during a friendly match between Somerset and South Africa on July 9, 2012 in Taunton, England.

If there was one man who deserved a fairytale Lord’s farewell. It was Mark Boucher. Had that pesky bail not found its way into Bouch’s eye, he would have played his 150th and final Test in the deciding match of this much anticipated series at Lord’s. It could have been the perfect ending. This series will decide the No.1 ranking. A South African win would have meant everything to Boucher.

Boucher will end his Test career stranded on 147 Tests and, tantalizingly, 1 dismissal short of 1000 in all international cricket. The word ‘great’ does get thrown around in sport and I’m not going to use it here. He wasn’t a great, a batting average just over 30 saw to that, but he certainly will go down as a South African great. That’s for sure.

He has been the heart and soul of the Proteas side for over a decade and no one better exemplifies the fierce pride with which the South Africans represent their country. South Africa will miss Boucher in this upcoming series. He had vital experience of English conditions and whilst his batting has deteriorated in recent years, he would still be high on your list of men to dig you out of a hole.

South Africa will almost certainly find their top order toppled at various points in this series, such is England’s bowling strength. Boucher’s grit and determination might just have made the difference.

In his Cricinfo bio, Telford Vice wrote of him: ‘A man to go to war with, but never against’. It is this short sentence that probably sums him up best. Boucher was a warrior. He may not have been the best batsman around, or keeper for that matter as his technique was badly exposed on the 1998 tour of England. But he worked relentlessly to improve. He became a solid technician with both bat and gloves and quickly became an essential part of the South African team.

He was loved by his teammates, as was evident in Graeme Smith‘s statement announcing Boucher’s retirement on his behalf. His fierce loyalty to South African cricket and desire to better it ensured he was loved in all quarters, certainly not just in his homeland.

It remains to be seen who South Africa will call up as a replacement, their keeping stocks certainly aren’t as deep as other areas and there has been no one hammering on the door demanding selection ahead of Boucher. It will be very interesting to see how the Proteas respond to this setback.

South Africa have not had to play without Boucher very often in the last 14 years, they will have to learn to play without him very quickly. The Proteas have lost their greatest warrior, a warrior brought to his knees by a tiny little bail.