Codi Yusuf loving bowling with the Duke ball

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad may have named five fast bowlers in his artillery for the World Test Championship final against Australia next month at Lord’s, but in the case of an emergency he will not need to look too far for backup if required.

Lions fast bowler Codi Yusuf has taken the English County Championship by storm, claiming 13 wickets in four innings for Durham, in Division 1. He is currently playing in a four-day fixture against Nottinghamshire, which includes Proteas wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne in their line-up, who was ironically his 100th first-class victim on Friday.

Yusuf also struck a handy unbeaten 44 from No 9 against Hampshire.

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks for the 27-year-old after swapping Florida on the west Rand of Johannesburg for the north-east of England after being recommended to Durham by David Bedingham. 

The Proteas Test No 5 is a stalwart at Durham having topped the Division 1 run-scorers charts last year and had whispered a few quiet nothings in ear of head coach Marcus North.

“I got a message from Bedders asking if I was keen to come and play some country cricket,” Yusuf said. 

“I was very excited about the message. Marcus North then contacted me. He obviously asked me if I'd be keen. 

“It's always been an aspiration and a dream for me to come and play country cricket. So, I could never have turned that down. 

“I didn't really speak about the contract to him. I gave that to my agent and my agent dealt with that. And I think the very next day, things were finalized and everything and before I knew it, I was on the plane and down in Worcester playing my first county game.

“For a player of Bedders' calibre, for him to recommend you, that makes you feel pretty special.”

It was not just on Bedingham’s word that the former Australian Test batter North went looking down for Yusuf.

The wiry paceman was in sublime form for the Lions in the CSA four-day competition last domestic season, where he bagged 23 wickets at 21.34, including 4/46 in the final at the Wanderers.

“I always play to my best ability. I always think that this game has a weird way of rewarding you for what you work hard for. It was always a vision of mine to come down and play county cricket,” Yusuf said. 

“However, obviously, without that being on the table, you can't say that you're going to come. So I’ve just done my best and obviously, I feel like the rest will kind of see to itself. 

“Like you say, I got 26 wickets in the four-dayers, and it obviously gave Durham an insight of what I'm about, and, of course, Bedders with the recommendation obviously helped me a lot.” 

Yusuf is certainly learning more about his craft as he experiences the vastly contrasting conditions at the various County grounds, while also learning how to bowl with the Duke ball instead of the Kookaburra as he does back home. 

After making his debut on a seamer-friendly surface at Worcester’s New Road, he has since encountered two batting paradises at Southampton and Chester-le-Street.

“The Duke ball definitely swings for a lot longer. I think it stays a lot harder than what the turf (Kookaburra)  does.

“Obviously, it's my first season playing with the Dukes ball, but I've absolutely loved bowling with the Dukes ball so far.

“The game against Worcester was a lot easier than the game against Hampshire. The game lasted two days. (6:17) I took six wickets, obviously, in that game.

“And I feel like the pitch was just lovely to bowl on. It was quite bowler friendly. So just in that sense, it was phenomenal to come in and that be my first game.

“Thinking like, oh my word, it's going to be lovely to bowl here in the UK. And then the game against Hampshire, it was quite flat. A lot of work was put into us getting those 10 wickets against Hampshire.

“However, the ball was reversing for me. So I love to bowl with a ball that reverses. I felt like I had at least something that I could work with on the pitch that was quite flat.

“I managed to get three wickets out of that. And I think I scored 44 runs or something like that. So, I was quite happy with my performance there.”