Proteas getting down to the chase
THE figures 294, 167, 371, 185, 163, 318, 262 and 236 may come across as inconsequential numbers. These are the scores the Proteas have overhauled at home in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.
Also, South Africa, being the prime oneday international (ODI) batting destination, has played a role in this.
If the eight successful home chases in 16 matches along with the 207 the Proteas overhauled in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton are put in context, coach Russell Domingo’s side have to be feared when batting second.
There was a blip in the third ODI in Christchurch but minor skirmishes have to be lost for the major battles to be won.
Former Proteas allrounder Jon Kent said the trend of the Proteas moulding themselves into a formidable chasing unit is a welcome one, especially ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales.
His only gripe is that South Africa’s bilateral excellence is not translated into something more tangible come crunch time.
“It’s a good thing they’ve learnt to get the chase right because their death bowling at times has let them down,” Kent said.
“We’ve backed our batsmen to chase more than defending totals to ease the worry about the death bowling. The form of the batsmen in these chases has been important and it’s something they need to maintain.
“We can’t be discounted when it comes to
If we’re playing against one team, we are the best in the business and we beat everyone. There’s a bit more to play for in a tournament
big chases. The thing with bilateral series is that we dominate them and we’re the best in the world at that.
“If we’re playing against one team, we are the best in the business and we beat everyone. There’s a bit more to play for in a tournament but one hopes the key players are at the wicket at crucial times in pressure matches. We’ll be giving ourselves the best chance to succeed.”
The shared responsibility of the top order in chases has been noted by Kent, much like the failings in the West Indies tri-series last year where totals of 288 and 285 on perfectly decent batting strips in Barbados and St Kitts were bridges too far.
The team may be in a better space than they were in the Caribbean but the multiteam competition bug is something that refuses to go away.
Kent acknowledged that solving this problem is still a work in progress.
“We’ve covered all the bases and done all the preparations. All we need to do is to get over the line now because we have got better at the chasing business.
“That quarterfinal win against Sri Lanka, regardless of the small total, was an important landmark. It’ll be a case of the players being in form at the right time in terms of finishing. The top order has the capability of doing this,” Kent said.
“In big games, teams prefer to let the other team bat and let the scoreboard pressure dictate how they deal with the chase. It’s something that hasn’t changed much and big teams will take that method for big games.
“What the Proteas have done well is to assess conditions perfectly when they’ve decided to chase.”