Proteas’ batting woes: The stats that reveal a sorry tale

The Proteas have struggled with their batting over the past four years and have seen a steady decline that culminated in their 95 all out against New Zealand on the opening day of the first Test match in Christchurch on Thursday.

The series against the Black Caps is their 10th since 2018, but it has been the Proteas bowlers who have shone in that time, helping them win five series, while losing four over that period.

In the last nine series they have played, there has not been a single drawn game, with 23 matches played and the Proteas winning 12 of those and losing 11.

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In total over that time the Proteas have batted in 44 innings, with them being bowled all out on 39 occasions.

Of those 39 innings the Proteas managed to score over 300 runs only six times, while they scored under 300 21 times, under 200 11 times and managed one score under 100.

Their best innings in this period came in the 2020/21 Test series against Sri Lanka in South Africa, which the Proteas won 2-0, with them setting the tone in the first Test with a mammoth 621 all out, but it remains the only instance they have scored over 500 runs in this period.

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Their worst innings also came against Sri Lanka in 2018 in Sri Lanka, a series which the Proteas lost 2-0, with them being bowled all out for 73 in the second innings of the first Test, after managing only 126 in the first innings.

The 95 all out against New Zealand is thus the second time in the past 10 series that the Proteas have been bowled out for under 100.

Other recent instances of them being bowled out for under 100 in Tests include: 96 all out v Australia in 2011; 79 all out v India in 2015; and 83 all out v England in 2016.

The Proteas will have to take a long hard look at their batting woes and try to find a way to reverse their fortunes, as although the stellar bowling attack has been backing them up superbly, they can’t expect them to carry them forever.

• In their second innings, late on Friday, the top order crashed out again, leaving the Proteas on 34 for three, in danger of losing the first Test by an innings.