Cape Town - Don’t blame the bowlers. That was the message from Proteas captain AB de Villiers despite having watched his attack being clobbered for 399 runs by England around the Mangaung Oval on Wednesday.
South Africa eventually lost the first one-day international by 39 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis Method after rain brought an early end to proceedings in Bloemfontein.
The Proteas, led by a magnificent career-best 138 not out off 96 balls by Quinton de Kock, were still in the hunt for the astonishing 400-run victory target at 250/5 in 33.3 overs. But play was called off, and due to the five wickets lost, the Proteas were 40 runs behind the required mark at 33.3 overs.
The English onslaught was started by Durban-born opener Jason Roy, who smashed a quick-fire 48 off 30 balls after captain Eoin Morgan had won the toss and chosen to bat. It was continued later by wicket-keeper Jos Buttler, who hit a sparkling 105 off 76 balls after coming in at number four, while Alex Hales (57), Ben Stokes (57) and Joe Root (52) also scored half-centuries to take their team to one run short of 400.
The Proteas management decided to rest Kagiso Rabada due to his recent heavy workload in the Test series, a decision De Villiers said was the “right call as he has a lot of cricket ahead of him”.
And without the injured Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott, coach Russell Domingo had to call on the raw pace of Marchant de Lange, as well as Chris Morris and Morné Morkel in the fast-bowling department.
But they were unable to stem the tide as England revelled on a fantastic batting pitch, with De Lange going for 2/87 in his 10 overs, Morris 3/74 and Morkel 1/70. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir bowled with good variety, but also travelled later in the innings for a return of 2/71 in his 10.
Another problem area for the South Africans was the fifth-bowler duo of JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien, who conceded 93 runs and took one wicket in their 10 overs combined.
The Proteas bowlers had poor discipline and sprayed the ball on both sides of the wicket, and that allowed the English to play with freedom and presented De Villiers with a nightmare when it came to field placings.
But the skipper sympathised. “It was a tough toss to lose, I think. It was really hard on the bowlers in the first 10 to 15 overs, and it took us a while to realise that it was an incredibly good wicket. We were a little bit slow to adapt our lengths, but I’m not going to be too hard on the bowlers because I don’t think they had that bad of a day,” De Villiers said at a press conference afterwards.
“We showed it with the bat in hand - cruising at seven-and-a-half an over, not even trying to push the run-rate up. So, it was a really good cricketing wicket, and I’m not going to be too hard on our bowlers. There were a few boundaries that were a little bit soft throughout the innings, but overall, a decent effort to get them nine down.”
But after De Kock and Faf du Plessis (55) gave them an incredible start in the chase following the early dismissal of Hashim Amla for six, the Proteas were well placed on 121/2 off 16 overs when De Villiers walked out to the middle.
His partnership with De Kock was going to decide his team’s fate, and ultimately De Villiers continued his mini-slump as he followed up his three ducks in his last three Test innings by holding out to Ben Stokes on the long-on boundary off Moeen Ali to be out eight.
It was an outstanding one-handed effort by Stokes while on the run, and despite suggestions from the Proteas camp that the England all-rounder was fortunate as the rope had been pushed back by fielders during the innings, Stokes had taken the catch well inside the boundary.
“I used my feet a little too well and got too close to the pitch (of the ball), and I couldn’t get enough elevation on it. Great catch, and I thought he did well to keep it in - if he did!” De Villiers quipped.
“There were lots of rumours and theories going around in the change room (about the catch). I didn’t personally get involved, but lots of guys think maybe I was a little bit unlucky there - I’m happy to walk off when the umpire gives me out. Silly shot, I should’ve done better than that. Blame myself.
“But I was unhappy as we needed a partnership there, so I’ve got to be hard on myself as I was thinking if I had to bat for another 30 minutes or so, we would’ve been in a fantastic position. But not good enough, and hopefully I will improve in the next few games.”
The Proteas will hope to square the series in the second ODI at Port Elizabeth on Saturday, which starts at 10am.
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