Durban – Staring down the barrel at 108-4 before the 20 over mark, the Proteas needed a special innings, or two, to revive their charge in their second ODI against Sri Lanka in Durban; up stepped Faf du Plessis and David Miller to push the Proteas to 307-6 at the break.
After being put in to bat by the Sri Lankans, who added some extra spin options for this match after viewing the dry pitch, Faf seemed like the only one who could handle the slow surface early on.
Coming out to bat in the fourth over, after Hashim Amla was trapped LBW, Faf soon struck the first six of the innings to signal his intent.
Wickets fell around him as first Quinton De Kok holed out in the deep playing an unnecessary shot for 17, then, to rapturous applause, AB de Villiers strode out to the crease to join his former schoolmate.
The living legend did not last long as he tried to play a cut shot to a ball that spun in from Lakshan Sandakan, edging it to the keeper for three.
JP Duminy came and went for 11 as Du Plessis carried on holding the inning together, but former darling of Kingsmead, David Miller, joined him to put on an innings changing partnership of 117.
With things going along swimmingly, Faf looked to open up after reaching three figures only to be caught by Mendis off the bowling of Nuwan Kulasekara in the 42 over.
The baton was passed on to Miller as he saw the innings out with a score of 117 off 98 with the help of pinch hitters Chris Morris, 26 off 20 deliveries as part of a 60 run partnership.
The Proteas will feel comfortable with the total posted knowing that they have an arsenal that can cause damage on a slow turning surface that might quicken under the lights.