History beckons for the Proteas – just as it has before

by Albert Troost

An almost-convincing victory over Bangladesh has given South Africa momentum at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Now they face England in the all-important last game of the group stage. History is not on their side.

In the opening match of the 2019 ODI World Cup, the Proteas faced England – the favoured hosts. Much was made of a “new-look” Protea outfit, free of any “baggage”. The team would be taking the game to the English and a buzz of anticipation before the game was heightened by Imran Tahir’s dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the first over. This would prove to be a fleeting moment of glory for Faf Du Plessis’ team on a sobering day. A Ben Stokes-inspired England thoroughly outplayed the Proteas, vividly highlighting the young Proteas’ inexperience. They were out of their depth. The Proteas lost by 104 runs and stumbled through the rest of the tournament, their only win of note coming against Australia in a dead rubber. To many at home, this was simply proof that Cricket South Africa (CSA) had finally brought the national team to its knees.

Fast forward two and a half years and a talented Proteas T20 class of 2021 has a chance to break free of the problems plaguing CSA and make their own history. Once again they face England in a match of great consequence, at a major tournament. Fans who lost interest in 2019 will be shuffling back to their seats.

Bavuma’s unit showing growth

With little pressure or indeed attention from the public, Temba Bavuma’s team has developed into a lopsided but effective unit. Many of the inexperienced members of the 2019 squad have matured into settled international players, capable of match-winning performances. The number one ranked bowler in this format, Tabraiz Shamsi, was derided for his action in 2019 but now looks unplayable. No bowler has taken more wickets in the shortest format of the game in 2021. Aiden Markram, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius and Rassie van der Dussen also look the part and have chipped in with important contributions during this tournament.

The Proteas have shown resolve and character in bouncing back from their opening loss and the subsequent refusal by Quinton De Kock to take the knee. A professional victory over the West Indies was followed by a nail-biter against Sri Lanka. After a predictable collapse by the middle order, David Miller finally did what it says on the box, initiating #MillerTime in a do-or-die situation. South Africa’s anointed finisher hit two crucial sixes in the final over when 15 runs were needed, in what could be a tournament-defining performance. An almost metronomically excellent bowling attack then set up a rout of Bangladesh – all out for 84 – though the Proteas’ brittle batting lineup made the chase of 85 seem almost nervy.

The bowlers will once again need to make inroads in the final match against England. South Africa’s old foes boast the tournament’s most aggressive and successful batting lineup, with Jos Buttler in imperious form. It is difficult to find adjectives for his innings against the spirited Sri Lankans on Monday, as he scored 101 runs out of a total of 164 on an exceptionally difficult and skiddy pitch. As they have done for the entire tournament, the Proteas will look to win the toss and send the opposition in to bat, giving their bowling line-up an opportunity to turn the screw. The success of this tactic will rely on the early dismissal of Buttler, with England’s reliance on him gifting them an opportunity of bowling at an out-of-sorts middle order on a turning track.

There will be many matchups to look out for in this fixture, with the best bowling lineup in the tournament coming up against an explosive batting unit. Adapting to the Sharjah conditions will be key, as the pitch has been on the slow and low side so far this tournament. A low scoring encounter will suit the Proteas, with Keshav Maharaj well suited to the occasion. England’s gung-ho approach may present chances early on in their innings and the Proteas success will be dependent on how well they take these. In their recent T20 meetings the England batsmen massacred the Protea bowlers, and it is difficult to see the South African top order responding in kind should Buttler and co. cut loose again.

Time for De Kock to stand tall

With all of the praise of Jos Buttler it is easy to forget that South Africa possess their very own, destructive top-order wicketkeeper. During this World Cup campaign, the headlines made by Quinton De Kock have been for reasons other than cricketing performance, and he will be looking to rectify that. With the focus on his protest against protesting, very little has been made of his indifferent form since the opening loss against Australia.

The opener has averaged a shade under 12 runs per innings in this tournament and was dismissed for single-digit scores in the Proteas’ two warm-up outings against Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is indicative of the quality of South Africa’s bowlers that they are still in the tournament despite De Kock’s lean run. There were hopes that his apology would set the narrative redemption arc in motion that would see things clicking into gear for the left-hander but this is yet to happen.

De Kock is, of course, a quality player and is due to come good sooner than later. There could be no better moment than Saturday’s fixture, and if the Proteas were to qualify for the semis, a confident De Kock would be crucial to any hope of progressing to the showcase match and beyond.

Does Net Run Rate really matter?

Net Run Rate is a complicated concept but is simply an equation whereby your margin of victory and defeat in all matches throughout a tournament are tallied against each other. This means that heavy defeats can and often are terminal to a team’s tournament prospects. It is basically a much more confusing version of football’s Goal Difference rule.

Much has been made of all of the different progression possibilities existing in Group A before the final round of fixtures with particular attention on South Africa and Australia. The Proteas were the favourites to progress until Australia’s mauling of a poor Bangladesh side.

The Proteas will rue their laboured batting display in their triumph over Bangladesh as Australia’s comparatively rapid chase leaves South Africa’s qualification hopes in the balance. Aaron Finch led the charge, with the Aussies chasing Bangladesh’s total in 7 fewer overs than the Proteas. Bavuma and Boucher may rue not chasing the small target more aggressively, as it left the door ajar for Australia to come into contention. In typical fashion, the Aussies needed no second invitation and are now favourites to progress at the Proteas’ expense.

Only a victory will now do in the England match.  Anything else would mean the Proteas rely on Australia’s result against an out of sorts West Indies being unfavourable. Mark Boucher would have been desperate to avoid any number crunching after the heartbreak of the 2003 World Cup, but this now looms as a reality. Cricket can be a cruel mistress as South African fans and players know all too well.

There can be no downplaying the importance of a Proteas victory on Saturday. A convincing win would earn them the right to sit at the big table, if only momentarily. It would also pry loose a shot at glory. More importantly, it would instil a sense of self-belief that could carry them to greater heights.  And it would remove many question marks around the quality of not only the Proteas but also South African cricket. Defeat and they may have to start all over again. 

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