Gerald Coetzee after career-best 77: I batted in the top order my entire school career

All-rounder Gerald Coetzee struck 77 in South Africa A’s defeat to Sri Lanka A this week. The score marked the highest of Coetzee’s professional career.

Tuesday’s 77 surpassed his previous List A best of 54 for Free State. His first-class best is 59 not out for the Knights.

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“I batted in the top order my entire school career. It was only when I started playing SA Under-19 that I moved down the order. I have always enjoyed my batting. It really is something I like doing,” Coetzee told IOL.

“Maybe at the start of my career, I did not work on it as I should have. But lately I have been spending a lot more time on it. I really want to be an all-rounder.”

Coetzee shared a 111-run partnership with fellow half-centurion Tristan Stubbs in South Africa A’s final total of 175 all out, after recovering from 42 for seven.

“The situation demanded that I bat like a top-order batter. Sometimes batting at number eight or nine, you have to adapt to the situation that you come in, which is most often that you need to tee off.

“It was a nice opportunity to bat long, but there was also the extra pressure of knowing that there weren’t too many wickets left.

“In that situation, where there is plenty of time left, but very few wickets, you almost just have to bat as long as you can. Stick to your gameplan, your shots, and bat as long as you can, until you have a good foundation to take the game forward again.”

Batting at number 10 in the order, Coetzee hit 17, 20, one and nine not out during the Proteas’ Test series against the West Indies in Centurion and Johannesburg earlier this year.

“It’s completely different to back home. The pitches bounce differently, their bowlers are different. The temperature and the humidity also plays a big part. So, it’s all quite new for a young cricketer to experience the sub-continent,” concluded Coetzee.

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