23-year wait for KO success is finally over
Determined, clinical Proteas get on top early and never give Lanka a sniff
NOT EVEN an untimely cloudburst was going to rain down on South Africa’s most splendid day in the sun here at the SCG yesterday. Whereas in the past when the heavens had opened it had been the source of much frustration and disappointment for the Proteas, it was now a symbolic sign of the blessings that were bestowed on South African cricket yesterday.
It was a day that had been 23 years in coming, and it had been well worth the wait. South Africa put in a “10 out of 10” performance that would have sent shockwaves through the camps of the remaining six teams in the competition. For they have always known that the Proteas have the individual talent – in players like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn – to strike, but they could always count on the fact that in the big knockout games the Proteas would suffer a mental blowout that allowed the opposition to get on top.
After Sydney 2015 that will no longer be the assumption. South Africa not only rewrote the history books in marching to their first-ever knockout win at a major ICC tournament; the manner in which they went about doing that was the impressive part.
This was not the tentative team of the past. Instead out there was a group of players determined – yet calm – in clinically achieving their objective, a bit like a cardiac surgeon in theatre. Sri Lanka were not allowed to breathe, let alone prosper, from almost the moment the island team had supposedly thought they had gained the upper hand by winning the toss and sending South Africa out into the field.
Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott, who after every good performance makes it harder for Vernon Philander to return to the team when his hamstring ever mends, were on the money from ball one. Whereas previously Steyn would work his way into a spell, yesterday the Sri Lankan openers were met with the full ferocity of “The Phalaborwa Express” immediately. This aggression from both pacemen, coupled with accuracy of lengths, accounted for both openers as Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan edged behind and to second slip.
South Africa had earned the start they were searching for. But could they maintain it against a Sri Lankan middle-order that was sprinkled with stardust, especially as the Proteas now had to turn to spin against a group of players that face the turning ball long before they even learn to ride a bicycle.
When this famous victory was celebrated long into the night yesterday, this mini-battle won within the war would have earned the loudest cheer. Imran Tahir and JP Duminy spun out a sub-continent team that boasted the batting talents of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews.
Tahir actually “owns” Jayawardene’s wicket, having dismissed the right-hander four times in four straight innings when these two teams have met. The control with which Tahir delivered his googlies – such was the confidence of the tweaker that there were even a couple of big-spinning legbreaks too – was absorbing to witness as the Pakistan-born spinner weaved his web.
Even the normally free-scoring Sangakarra could not move between the gears – his number of balls faced in comparison to his runs scored escalated after every over. In a reversal of the regular roles, it was South Africa who were exerting the pressure in a knockout game for a change, and they were enjoying it. The dam wall was about to be burst, and it is here when JP Duminy wreaked havoc with South Africa’s firstever World Cup hat-trick. This precipitated a collapse which saw Sri Lanka lose six wickets for the addition of just 19 runs.
Even taking into account all South Africa’s previous meltdowns, Sri Lanka’s meagre total was simply not enough to expose the scars. And when Quinton de Kock found the form and touch that had eluded him for the past month, the youngster, playing in his first World Cup knockout game, ensured there will now be a new starting point for South African cricket.