Timing is very important when we talk about sports. Corbin and Eathan Bosch experienced some of their father Tertius’ belongings about a year ago.
Tertius passed away in 2000 when Corbin was just five and Eathan was not even two years old. Both brothers only recognized their father through the memories of others. Their mother, Karen-Anne, especially kept many of their father’s belongings for them, including all his playing kit.
Among the items, the most cherished was a 1992 World Cup shirt. “It was pretty special,” Eathan, a cricketer in South Africa’s domestic set-up, tells ESPNcricinfo. “And also just to see what the kit looked like back then and what it’s like now. I must say I wouldn’t be able to play in that kind of kit. It’s just so thick and heavy.”
Eathan kept the shirt at that time but didn’t think he’d ever wear it. That changed two days ago. He was invited to a hospitality suite at the Wanderers for Corbin’s ODI debut and decided on his outfit as he walked out of his front door.
“It was a pink day, so I thought I was going to wear a pink shirt, but then at the last second as I was leaving, I remembered I had the [1992] shirt and thought, ‘Let me wear it.’ When I got to the stadium, I just put it on,” Eathan says.
“I just thought it was a special occasion, and what better way to celebrate Corbin’s debut than by wearing one of my dad’s shirts?”
From building with Lego at home to making your ODI debut for the Proteas.
Those who still remember Tertius bowling can see glimpses of him when they watch Corbin bowl. He was consistently hitting speeds of 140-plus kph, dismissing centurion Saim Ayub and scoring 44 runs while batting at No. 8.
Before the beginning of the ongoing Test match against Pakistan, Corbin was excited to make his mark at the SuperSport Park and he actually proved himself right.
“It couldn’t be more fitting that where he played all of his cricket will be the place where I make my Test debut,” Corbin told reporters at SuperSport Park. “I love this place, the atmosphere is always fantastic, and it’s a ground that I’m so well accustomed to, so I couldn’t be happier. It’s my home, and it’s where he played most of his cricket before moving down to Durban, so I cannot be more grateful and thankful to spend such a momentous occasion here.”
If anything, Corbin is living his dream right now. His bowling and batting performances have been amazing in the ongoing Test match versus Pakistan. On his Test debut, he took five wickets and scored an unbeaten knock of 81 in the first innings.
But now the real Test begins, as South Africa is struggling at 27 for 3, chasing a target of 148. The top order’s performance was below par in the first innings as well, so the real question is, if it comes down to Corbin Bosch again, can he win it for South Africa and help his team qualify for the World Test Championship final?
