The 35-year-old veteran pacer Dane Paterson hit the ground running at St George's Park in Gqeberha where he registered his career-best 7-104 to power South Africa to a resounding 109-win in the second Test. He was roped in to replace an injured Gerald Coetzee and walked into the second Test averaging well over 36 with only 12 wickets in five matches. Not known for his ability to generate express pace or swing, Paterson was not a major threat Sri Lanka would have expected to contend with before the start of the first Test. 

However, as fate would have, he emerged as the unlikely hero for South Africa in the second Test. His ground-breaking five-wicket haul in the first innings, followed by figures of 2-33 helped South Africa conclude the Test series on a high and bolster their chances of securing their maiden spot in the WTC final. His three-wicket burst inside the space of one over played a crucial role in helping South Africa eke out a crucial 30-run lead which in turn paved the way for an emphatic win for his side. After the match, his figures improved drastically as his average dropped to 28 whilst his strike rate lowered to 58.6.

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Paterson lashes out at his critics over his selection

Prior to his heroic exploits at St George's Park, Paterson came under intense scrutiny as many experts were skeptical about his place in the team. Against an underwhelming Test record, the veteran pacer became a prime target of several media houses. Following the conclusion of the second Test, Paterson was awarded the "Player of the Match" award and that was the very moment when the Cape Town-born pacer wasted no time in answering his critics with a befitting tweet on his Twitter account which read as follows:

Hi to all the haters that doubted my selection. This one is for you. Thanks for all the negative comments about my selection. At the end of the day it’s not about you. It’s about the team. @PoppingCreaseSA please relook at my first class stats before having a GO at me. Cheers🍺 pic.twitter.com/bsQSoTHGhj

— Dane Paterson (@DanePaterson44) December 9, 2024

Furthermore, he also tagged a sports journalist in his post advising them to revisit his first-class stats before making premature assessments about his capabilities. Paterson was pumped up after his maiden five-wicket haul and was happy to win a game for his side in such a crucial encounter. He went on to laud Rickelton, Bavuma, and Maharaj who performed well in certain passages of play. 

More about Dane Paterson

Paterson has over 166 FC games under his belt and has accumulated 603 wickets at a remarkable average of 23.67 which includes his best figures of 10/62. In addition, the 35-year-old also has 18 four-wicket hauls & 23 five-wicket hauls to his name as well. Paterson burst into the international stage when he made his Test debut against England in 2020 and has since then featured in six Tests, four of which came in this year alone.