A must read.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/723059.html

Yeah, I know the topic is of Dale Steyn, but the piece reads like poetry.

tl/dr   

I don't read short hand.

Bilt: Not sure if you're following the cricket u19 WC but Rabada looks amazing for a 18yr old. Over 90mph consistently. The highlights are up and worth watching. He took 6 wickets in the semi today against AUS. Good replacement for Morkel eventually.

Some very exciting youngsters in SA cricket at the moment.

I actually watched most of the match, I am very impressed with him, I checked his stats for the tournament, 13 wickets at an average of 10 with a strike rate of less than 19.

And at his age he bowls at 140 kph?

I watched his post match interview, looks like the quiet type and very polite as well.

interesting fella this Rabada guy. his profile says he went to st Stithians, which is in the same region as my alma mater, yet I never faced him. Wasn't spoken of as one to watch during national week. Also has only one amateur t20 to his name, so he quite literally seems to have come from nowhere.

Out of a good school, came across well and seems to have a head on his shoulders. I'll be watching closely.

Hope Abbott starts for the next test.

Nice seeing Parnell looking good again. He has always had the talent and the left arm option is great to have. Pity he got injured.

I think a four prong pace attack with JPD and Elgar providing a bit of spin is the way forward for SA. No point persisting with semi spinners like Peterson unless maybe on the sub Con.

Marchant de Lange was looking good. Him, Parnell and Abbott rotating with the current main three gives us nice bowling depth. Pretty sure Rabada will be fast tracked.

I'd also like to see de Kock given the gloves sooner rather than later. Take a risk with him like SA did Boucher all those years ago. Having ABdV and Faf fielding in the circle is worth a wicket or two and innings.

To be honest - I'm becoming more and more against ABdV dropping the gloves, especially if old Quinny takes over (trust me, he just aint ready) - Divvy is in princely form and has been since he donned the gloves. Unless it is hurting his back, I can't see a reason for him to drop them.

Rabada is out of a good school - but I'm not sure they've actually produced a Protea before, so good luck to him, wherever he came from. Interesting to see Valli was dropped as skipper for the u19 - happened to de Kock as well. I think they should stop selecting the captain at national week, and rather wait for the coach to have spent some time with the boys, so he can see who is a leader, etc. In the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal, but it can't be good for a young cricketers self-esteem to lose captaincy before a world cup (even if QdK axing was more of a disciplinary issue)

Terbrugge and that's all I can remember.

Spoke to a mate of mine who went to Stithians. Apparently Rabada has been a cricketing prodigy since the age of ten... Apparently as nice a guy as you can find, really have no clue why I hadn't noticed him, at the pace he bowls - law of averages dictates that I must have played against him a few times.