JOHANNESBURG - The Proteas have homework to do ahead of the series deciding fixture against the West Indies in Grenada on Saturday.
Given how much more experience the hosts have in the T20 format, South Africa may have taken being locked 2-2 with one match to play had that been offered to them before the series. Aside from spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and George Linde, along with Quinton de Kock’s batting at the top of the order, the Proteas have not looked like a group capable of beating the defending T20 World Cup champions.
But they’ve shown some grit, have had Shamsi, Linde and De Kock deliver some outstanding performances, and find themselves in with a chance of winning the series, which would be a big surprise were that to occur and provide a much-need confidence booster ahead of the World Cup later this year.
“It’s maybe not a bad thing going into a series decider, it will put our skills under all the pressure we need,” said Aiden Markram.
The West Indies hammered South Africa in the fourth match on Thursday, taking advantage of the poor ‘death’ bowling by the tourists, to score 167/6 - 66 of those runs coming in the last four overs of the innings.
Markram too bowled a poor first over, conceding 20 runs to Lendl Simmons. The West Indies opener had anticipated that South Africa would open with spin, and smashed two fours and two sixes, to get the hosts off to a rollicking start.
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“It was not my best day to be honest but that is the nature of the beast. We thought we could sneak an over in upfront. It’s about trying tactics, going with ‘gut feels’ from the leadership group and if we bump our heads along the way then so be it, that’s the only way we are going to learn.”
Later the West Indies bowlers, led by a career best effort from Dwayne Bravo who took 4/19, bamboozled the South Africans with changes of pace, to claim a 21-run victory.
“I thought we bowled brilliantly - they got away at the back end - but 160 on that wicket was certainly chaseable, but we couldn’t get any momentum with the bat. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, it was the nature of the wicket which suits their bowlers,” Markram explained.
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🏏 What a series George Linde is having with the ball in hand
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) July 2, 2021
📹 Full highlights https://t.co/lILiUr8Xkg#WIvSA #ThatsOurGame pic.twitter.com/oS4M5NvYUN
South Africa’s batsmen have battled to implement a plan against the variety on offer from the West Indies’s bowlers.
“We’ve got homework to do after losing the fourth game. But two games ago we put in a great performance and we are still full of confidence,” said Markram
“We will do our homework about where we can do 5% better, and how we go about delivering those things under pressure. If we are able to get a win, especially because we’re a young and inexperienced side, it will do us the world of good. We will fight tooth and nail to get that done.”
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Saturday’s series decider starts at 8pm SA time.
IOL Sport