De Kock had to withdraw from South Africa’s team for the third test just hours before play on Thursday after hurting his knee when he tripped while out walking his Jack Russell dogs on the eve of the match.
He initially made little of a slight strain but woke up during the night with a swollen knee, necessitating a dramatic effort by South Africa to find a replacement.
The incident prompted whimsical comparisons with December 1995 when former England wicketkeeper Jack Russell put a spanner in the works for South Africa in a famous rearguard action with Michael Atherton.
The pair batted for 75 overs to save the test in spite of some ferociously hostile bowling and Russell finished unbeaten on 29 off 235 deliveries in a match in which he also took a world record 11 dismissals.
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In De Kock's place, South Africa called up Dane Vilas, who had been dropped after November’s lost test series in India, but he had to make a mad dash from Port Elizabeth where he was about to start a four-day provincial game for the Cape Cobras.
“When you get a call like that you’ll do anything to get there,” said team mate Dean Elgar after South Africa closed the first day on 267 for seven wickets. There were no places on early flights out of the coastal city to Johannesburg. Vilas left at 8AM local time on a two-hour trip to Johannesburg, then caught a fast train to nearby Sandton and was whisked on the final leg to the Wanderers under police escort.
He arrived 30 minutes after play started but with South Africa winning the toss and batting first, his late appearance went unnoticed.
“That was always going to be the plan (batting first) even if Vilas was going to be late,” added Elgar.
Vilas scored a test-high 26 coming in at number six for South Africa at the end of an eventful day.
(Editing by Toby Davis)
