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Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Friday, 25 March 2011
Oram leads New Zealand to stunning upset
Categories :
Cricket . Cricket World Cup . ICC . New Zealand . South Africa
Oh South Africa, what have you done? Earlier this month Graeme Smith tweeted an article titled 'Time to ban the 'C' word'. Hold on to that thought Smith, for clearly that time hasn't come yet. South Africa were cruising at 108 for 2 in the 25th over when Jacques Kallis fell and they crash-landed spectacularly to be shot out for 172. The self-destructive streak, demonically masochistic in nature, will perhaps need shrinks to decode it. Once they realised their opponents were cracking under pressure, New Zealand went for the kill with close-in fielders and disciplined bowling, led by Jacob Oram who took four wickets and a great catch.
Even when Kallis fell - to a blinder of a catch from Jacob Oram, rushing to his left at deep midwicket - there wasn't much to suggest that this could turn into another contender for all-time greatest choke in World Cup history. The pitch was slow but there was no sharp turn; the bowlers were disciplined but there was no sensational game-breaking spell; none of the three spinners got much purchase from the wicket; and the total was below par; but for some reason South Africa were feeling extremely claustrophobic.
Their nerves were best represented by the dismissal of JP Duminy, who played an awful shot to open the choke gates. Nathan McCullum slowed up the pace on a delivery that landed on a length, outside off, and Duminy went so hard into an ugly cut that he ended up dragging the ball on to his stumps. With Duminy's fall, South Africa were in a spot of bother at 121 for 4, in the 28th over, and the first signs of something special loomed over Mirpur.
There was more heartbreak for South Africa fans in the next over. Faf du Plessis hit straight to midwicket and ran like a headless chicken. AB de Villiers should perhaps have refused that call but he responded, only to find himself well short of the crease. It was at this moment that New Zealand really sensed that this could be their night.
The moment was so ripe that even Daniel Vettori, not known for sledging, gave some lip to du Plessis and Kyle Mills, who had carried drinks on to the field at the fall of de Villiers, got into the act. A visibly agitated du Plessis shoved Mills, the departing de Villiers returned to support his partner, and eventually the umpires had to get involved. New Zealand's players swooped in to the crime scene and it was a classic Youtube moment. You could almost feel the pressure-cooker situation out there.
New Zealand crowded the bat with close-in men, ready to sledge and eager to pile on the pressure, and Johan Botha cracked in the 33rd over. It was a lovely legcutter from Oram and Botha played down the wrong line to lose his off stump. Oram, who was the man who started it all with that Kallis catch, wasn't done yet. In the 35th over, he lured Robin Peterson into edging an attempted cut to the keeper and South Africa were swaying away like drunken men at 132 for 7. South Africa's nerves were frayed further when Dale Steyn square drove Nathan McCullum in the air to backward point, where who else but Oram accepted the offering.
If Oram was the man in the forefront of New Zealand's resurgence, du Plessis was the man seeking redemption for making that wrong call that led to the run out of de Villiers. In his brief international career, he has already shown a tenacity to remain relatively calm under pressure. And he wasn't ready to throw in the towel. He was on 14 when Steyn fell, and he took ownership of the chase. He rushed down the track to slam Tim Southee to the straight boundary in the 40th over, on drove Vettori to collect another four in the 41st, and even lifted Oram for a thrilling six over long-off in the 43rd over.
It was in the same over that the game turned for one last time, and it was also an over that captured the entire madness of the evening. du Plessis had crashed the first delivery of the over back at Oram who couldn't hold on to a very difficult chance, and once the six was hit, one had to ask the question: was the night turning for Oram? Was it swinging towards du Plessis? But du Plessis sliced the fifth ball straight to extra cover and South Africa had well and truly sunk into oblivion.
The end was a far cry from the way South Africa started the day. They attacked with spin and seam, shuffled their bowlers regularly like a pack of cards, and hustled on the field to keep a tight leash on New Zealand. Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor were at the forefront of a revival from the depths of 16 for 2; carefully, almost mindful of a potential lower-order collapse on this pitch, Ryder and Taylor battled through. The odd boundary signalled growing comfort, but they never broke away decisively. A nervy equilibrium had been reached by the end of the 30th over with New Zealand reaching 112 for 2 and the game was waiting to be seized. However, both Ryder and Taylor departed in quick succession but Kane Williamson made a vital 38 to push New Zealand to 221.
It shouldn't have been enough, it didn't feel like enough, but it proved enough. It was a crazy crazy night in Mirpur. Ironically, Allan Donald, the man who was involved in the other famous South African choke, was in the other camp tonight.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Transformed South Africa Aim For Semis
Categories :
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| Imran Tahir has been a revelation for South Africa in this tournament |
Like the ghost of World Cups past, New Zealand have visited South Africa's campaigns in every tournament since 1992. Each time they have been clear underdogs against a team with a fabled dedication to clinical professionalism, but more often than not they reminded the South African scrooges of the frailty of a rigid formula. The timbre of those reminders has rung with increasing insistence, and when their paths crossed in 2003 and 2007, New Zealand were clear winners.
The lesson has been learned, and this time South Africa's progress has been notable for its break from the formulaic approaches of the past. In Imran Tahir they've found the final component in a team of near-perfect balance, and have shown a refreshing willingness to adapt as opposition or conditions demand. They have two of the best fast bowlers in the world, but both Robin Peterson and Johan Botha have opened the bowling at different stages.
But while South Africa's approach may have changed, there is a familiar look to their results from the group stages. West Indies, Netherlands and Bangladesh were dispatched with consummate ease. The loss to England may have raised old fears about the 'C' word, but that defeat never threatened South Africa's march to the second round and they immediately shrugged off the 'chokers' tag (a phrase that seems to be focussed on more obsessively in the media than it is by anyone in South Africa's camp) with a thrilling, last-over win against India.
How could New Zealand, who floundered against Australia and Sri Lanka and made the quarter-finals thanks mainly to a meltdown that only Pakistan could have delivered, possibly hope to derail the mighty South Africans? Outgunned with both bat and ball, and struggling with injuries, they will have to resort to the sort of scrapping, street-wise cricket for which their previous World Cup campaigns have been renowned. A transformed South Africa are determined to correct the mistakes of the past, but the return of Daniel Vettori will inspire New Zealand and this match could well be won by whichever team is better able to maintain temperament and composure.
Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWWL
South Africa WWWLW
Watch out for...
Imran Tahir may not be South Africa's leading wicket-taker in the tournament so far - that title belongs, surprisingly, to Robin Peterson - but his inclusion is symbolic of South Africa's new approach to limited-overs cricket. He's also their first attacking wrist spinner in a cricketing generation, and should find conditions in Mirpur to his liking. If New Zealand's top order can survive the early onslaught from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith will turn to Tahir, confident in his ability to pick up cheap wickets with a variety of legspinners, sliders and wrong 'uns.
New Zealand have a couple of limited-overs stars in their ranks, such as Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, but their strength as a team is their potential to gel and become more than the sum of their parts. Their captain, Daniel Vettori, is the vital ingredient in that formula. Whether with bat, ball or in the field, Vettori seems to inspire by his very presence and as a seasoned cricketer he won't be intimidated by South Africa. There have been hints that Vettori could give up ODIs after this tournament, giving him an added incentive to go out on a high.
Team news
South Africa gave away nothing in terms of likely selections or injury troubles in the lead-up to the game, and there's been no word on whether or not AB de Villiers has recovered from injury. Given the importance of the match, it's likely he will play even if not fully fit, and perhaps not be asked to keep wicket. That means wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk will keep his place in the XI, possibly at Faf du Plessis's expense. With Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel slotting back in in place of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell, South Africa will probably fill the remaining slots with their three spinners.
South Africa (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Morne van Wyk (wk), 7 Johan Botha, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir
Brendon McCullum has apparently recovered from a painful knee, and Vettori is also set to return. New Zealand have been affected by several injuries in this tournament, with Kyle Mills suffering a quad strain and Hamish Bennett's tournament ended by an injury to his ankle and Achilles tendon. Daryl Tuffey has been called up as cover, but if Mills is fit he'll be the first choice to partner Tim Southee with the new ball.
New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Jesse Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Scott Styris, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Daniel Vettori (capt), 10 Tim Southee, 11 Kyle Mills.
Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.
Pitch and conditions
Both teams will know just what to expect from the Mirpur wicket, and although Graeme Smith said that he was surprised by the amount of grass on the track, it should still play on the slow, low side and aid spinners. Hot and humid weather is expected, and so dew could come into play if evening is cloudless, although its impact should be minimal.
Stats and trivia
South Africa and New Zealand have met 51 times in ODIs, with South Africa winning 30 to New Zealand's 17. Four of their matches have ended with no result. In World Cups, however, New Zealand have won three of the five matches the teams have played, and prevailed in both 2003 and 2007.
Jacques Kallis has more runs against New Zealand in ODIs than any other South African, having scored 1385 at 41.96, including three hundreds and nine fifties in 42 matches.
Tim Southee is New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 14 scalps at 15.07. Ross Taylor leads their run-scoring table, with 245 at an average of 81.66 and a strike rate of exactly a-run-a-ball.
Quotes
"There are so many South Africans all around the world that if we stress about that we won't sleep at night. Things have changed a lot since Allan Donald was in the side."
Graeme Smith on the Allan Donald factor.
"I don't have any form because I haven't played."
Daniel Vettori is forthright on what he thinks about his own form.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
India v South Africa at Nagpur - Mar 12, 2011
Categories :
Cricket . Cricket World Cup . ICC . India . South Africa
India 296 (48.4 ov)
South Africa 247/6 (44.0 ov)
South Africa require another 50 runs with 4 wickets and 36 balls remaining
- South Africa RR 5.61
- Last 5 ovs 46/3 RR 9.20
- Required RR 8.33
- India RR (6.08) 5.92
| Current time: 22:10 local, 16:40 GMT | ODI career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Batsmen | Runs | B | 4s | 6s | SR | This bowler | Last 5 ovs | Mat | Runs | HS | Ave | ||||||||
| *Faf du Plessis(rhb) | 14 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 127.27 | 2 (3b) | 14 (11b) | 7 | 118 | 60 | 29.50 | ||||||||
| Bowlers | O | M | R | W | Econ | 0s | 4s | 6s | This spell | Mat | Wkts | BBI | Econ | ||||||
| *Munaf Patel(rmf) | 8.0 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 5.12 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 1-0-6-1 | 58 | 73 | 4/29 | 4.84 | ||||||
| Harbhajan Singh(ob) | 7.0 | 0 | 45 | 3 | 6.42 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2-0-12-2 | 222 | 251 | 5/31 | 4.31 | ||||||
Recent overs 1 4 W . 1 1 | . . 1 1 2 6 | 1 1 . 1,Wwd . 1 1 | . 1 4 1lb 1 W Last Bat MN van Wyk lbw b Patel 5 (5b 1x4 0x6) SR: 100.00 Fall of wicket: 247/6 (43.6 ov); Partnership: 9 runs, 1.3 overs, RR: 6.00 (van Wyk 5, du Plessis 3) Umpire reviews remaining South Africa 1 (0 successful, 1 unsuccessful); India 1 (0 successful, 1 unsuccessful) |
End of over 44 (7 runs) South Africa 247/6 (50 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 5.61, RRR: 8.33)
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43.6 | Patel to van Wyk, OUT | ||||||||||||||
MN van Wyk lbw b Patel 5 (5b 1x4 0x6) SR: 100.00 | |||||||||||||||
43.5 | Patel to du Plessis, 1 run, tapped to leg again, brave running as they take on the fielder | ||||||||||||||
43.4 | Patel to van Wyk, 1 leg bye, off the pad, the ball rolls into the leg side and they take one | ||||||||||||||
43.3 | Patel to van Wyk, FOUR, dropped by Gambhir at long leg! Van Wyk slog swept in the air, the ball looped towards Gambhir but he over-ran it and also slipped as he stooped to attempt the catch ... and the ball rolls past him to the boundary! | ||||||||||||||
43.2 | Patel to du Plessis, 1 run, slashed down to third man, Tendulkar gets across to cut it off | ||||||||||||||
43.1 | Patel to du Plessis, no run, he charges Munaf, getting a great connection on a thumping drive, but aiming it straight at the fielder | ||||||||||||||
57 off 42 needed | |||||||||||||||
End of over 43 (5 runs) South Africa 240/5 (57 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 5.58, RRR: 8.14)
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42.6 | Harbhajan Singh to du Plessis, 1 run, turned round to short fine leg, they take on the fielder and get one | ||||||||||||||
42.5 | Harbhajan Singh to van Wyk, 1 run, late cut from van Wyk, but not quite fine enough to beat the fielder | ||||||||||||||
42.4 | Harbhajan Singh to van Wyk, no run, he bends into a sweep first ball, but is beaten by a bit of spin and a lot of bounce, the ball spitting over leg stump | ||||||||||||||
Morne van Wyk comes out, he didn't have a great day with the gloves but he's got a chance to make up for it now | |||||||||||||||
42.4 | Harbhajan Singh to Duminy, 1 wide, OUT, Duminy falls ... eventually! He charged out again, was beaten as the ball was speared down the leg side. Dhoni fumbled the take, and Duminy, who was several metres down, started back for the crease. Dhoni quickly recovered, picking the ball up and whipping the bails off with the batsman short | ||||||||||||||
JP Duminy st †Dhoni b Harbhajan Singh 23 (20b 2x4 1x6) SR: 115.00 | |||||||||||||||
42.3 | Harbhajan Singh to Duminy, no run, reverse sweep from Duminy, he nails it really hard and along the ground but straight to Yusuf | ||||||||||||||
42.2 | Harbhajan Singh to du Plessis, 1 run, clipped just wide of short fine leg | ||||||||||||||
Long-off, long-on, deep midwicket, deep square all out. No-one out behind point on the off side | |||||||||||||||
42.1 | Harbhajan Singh to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy shuffles out, Harbhajan spots him and really holds it back slower and shorter, but they still get the single down to long on | ||||||||||||||
End of over 42 (10 runs) South Africa 235/4 (62 runs required from 48 balls, RR: 5.59, RRR: 7.75)
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41.6 | Yuvraj Singh to du Plessis, SIX, over long-off! Du Plessis was under such pressure straight away, but he's backed his own ability here, stepping down the wicket and slapping the drive over the fielder on the boundary | ||||||||||||||
41.5 | Yuvraj Singh to du Plessis, 2 runs, too short, Du Plessis rocks back and pulls out to wide long-on ... Munaf isn't the quickest in the field out there, so they're back for the second | ||||||||||||||
41.4 | Yuvraj Singh to Duminy, 1 run, tucked off his pads, quick single taken | ||||||||||||||
41.3 | Yuvraj Singh to du Plessis, 1 run, flicked to midwicket, there's the single finally | ||||||||||||||
41.2 | Yuvraj Singh to du Plessis, no run, held back by Yuvraj, looped up on middle, Du Plessis can't get it away | ||||||||||||||
41.1 | Yuvraj Singh to du Plessis, no run, quick through the air from round the wicket, Faf drops it towards point, no run | ||||||||||||||
Yuvraj comes on, and he's got a slip in place for Faf Du Plessis | |||||||||||||||
End of over 41 (7 runs) South Africa 225/4 (72 runs required from 54 balls, RR: 5.48, RRR: 8.00)
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40.6 | Harbhajan Singh to du Plessis, 1 run, tapped softly towards midwicket, they immediately set off for a quick single | ||||||||||||||
40.5 | Harbhajan Singh to Duminy, 1 run, full on middle, eased down to long on | ||||||||||||||
40.4 | Harbhajan Singh to Duminy, no run, cut down straight to backward point | ||||||||||||||
40.3 | Harbhajan Singh to de Villiers, OUT, but he's gone now! It was the orthodox slog sweep this time, he cracked it right out of the middle but didn't get much height in the shot. Kohli dived forward at square to hold the catch above the turf, and Harbhajan waves AB back to the pavilion. India back in the game | ||||||||||||||
AB de Villiers c Kohli b Harbhajan Singh 52 (39b 6x4 1x6) SR: 133.33 | |||||||||||||||
40.2 | Harbhajan Singh to de Villiers, FOUR, shot! de Villiers is playing some superbly attacking, innovative cricket here. Harbhajan came round the wicket, landed a quicker ball on middle and leg and de Villiers was into position in a flash, lifting the ball over the man at short third man. There's his fifty | ||||||||||||||
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