JP Duminy hoping Shukri Conrad's Proteas hit a sweet note at Lord's

AS WE make our way to the ICC Hall of Fame gala evening on a glorious London summer evening there is a fairly large gathering of people at a road crossing.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

Traffic comes to a standstill after a father plants himself in the centre before hauling out his mobile phone to snap a picture of his family of four crossing the road.

A first-time member of our London media contingent is puzzled.

"What's happening here?" "What's so special about this crossing?"

The ICC Hall of Fame dinner is, of course, at Abbey Road - the famous studio where the Beatles recorded their final album - while the family were mimicking the iconic cover album depicting the legendary John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

"I'm not a singer, no... Lionel Richie maybe, but not the Beatles," says JP Duminy, who starred in an epic contest at Lord's - just a stone's throw away from Abbey Road in St John's Wood - when the Proteas last lifted the golden ICC mace after being crowned the No 1 Test side in the world.

The former Proteas allrounder struck a crucial half-century in the first innings that ultimately helped form a match-winning partnership with Vernon Philander.

"Those memories. I mean, those are special. Probably the best Test series that I've been part of," Duminy said.

"The reason why is what we were playing for, right? I think how it was structured in that we came into that last Test 1-0 up. And we needed to win it.