Proteas off to a great start
S RI LANKA is a country lush with lakes and forests and has been synonymous with exceptional tea for more than 120 years, and, owing to its British colonial influence, a tea party at one of its many luxury hotels is a most pleasant and tranquil experience.
The Proteas would be excused if they thought they had just enjoyed one of those last night at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in their World Twenty20 Group C opener against Zimbabwe. Despite the late afternoon rain that was a source of intense humidity, SA hardly broke a sweat as they crushed their neighbours by 10 wickets.
Openers Richard Levi (50 not out off 43 balls) and Hashim Amla (32 not out off 33 balls) certainly didn’t as they cruised past Zimbabwe’s second-lowest score in T20 history, leaving as much as 45 balls unused. It was certainly an impressive display from a side that had been laid low by all sorts of strange viruses just 24 hours before.
It was only SA’s second 10wicket victory in T20s after previously demolishing Pakistan at the Wanderers in 2007.
“I wouldn’t say it was the perfect start, but we wanted to go out there and roll out our game plans and test our skills, and we certainly did that. So we are happy with that,” Levi said after the match.
“It was also good to get some runs under the belt.”
On Tuesday night, Brendan Taylor’s men had succumbed to the mystery and guile of Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, who claimed a T20 world record 6/8. Last night it was raw pace and hostility that proved to be their undoing. The surface had greased up sufficiently owing to the drizzle that had fallen, and the Proteas pace trio – Dale not a daunting one, which allowed him the time to have a few “sighters” and settle inbefore bashing his way to an unbeaten half-century off 43 balls. The fact that it was Levi’s highest score in T20 international cricket since February speaks volumes about what it could do for his confidence.
“You want to start any tournament with some runs,” Levi said. “As soon as you doubt yourself you will go backwards, so you need to look forward and continue to back yourself.”
Coach Gary Kirsten and his charges will be pleased with last night’s stroll, but will know there are far greater challenges ahead, notably tomorrow’s match against the Lankan Lions in what will be a much more vociferous atmosphere than the tea party last night. Steyn, Morne Morkel and the ever-green Jacques Kallis – certainly took full advantage.
Morkel (2/16) started the carnage by clean-bowling Vusi Sibanda for a duck, and when he and his brother Albie, who passed a fitness test earlier, picked up a further two wickets in quick succession to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 16/3 in the fifth over, the match was basically over as a contest.
A partnership of 37 in exactly six overs between Craig Ervine and Stuart Matsikenyeri stabilised the innings for a short while before Kallis struck with successive balls to curtail any sort of resistance. Kallis failed to bag a hat-trick, but his double-wicket maiden was a first for SA in T20 cricket.
Ervine battled away to topscore with 37 off 40 balls, but he, too, was picked up Kallis, who had earlier also roughed up Graeme Cremer with a bumper. The all-rounder finished with career-best figures of 4/15.
SA’s premeditated plan of using the short ball as an attacking weapon reaped dividends, and it was just reward that Steyn, who was impeccable on the night, also claimed a wicket in this manner – although he had De Villiers’s brilliant athletic ability to thank for it. The Proteas skipper pulled off a stunning one-handed catch down the leg-side to send Prosper Utseya back to the dugout.
There was no let-up in the intensity when the Proteas’ chase began, with the deficit more than halved by the time the six powerplay overs were completed. It was the sort of opposing attack that out-of-form Levi required to find his groove again.
He was aware the target was