Proteas series still alive
THE blueprint for South Africa’s success in this one-day series was clearly illustrated last night.
For all the worries about the balance of the starting team, it’s their top four batsmen who will determine their fate. Last night, that quartet – specifically the openers – clicked.
Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock shared an enthralling 239-run stand for the first wicket to blow England away and keep alive South Africa’s hopes in this five-match series.
It was a clinical showing by the opening duo. De Kock had shown in Bloemfontein that he was in superb touch with a career-best effort, and there was more of that form on display in Pretoria last night.
He set the tone early with some beautiful drives when the ball was pitched up, and when England tested the bounce in the surface – as South Africa’s bowlers did too often in the afternoon – he whipped them imperiously.
Amla, having failed in the first two matches, allowed his partner to dominate in the early stages.
In sedate fashion he got himself into the 20s, and when the occasion warranted unleashed some stylish strokes as South Africa rapidly assumed the ascendancy.
England had little answer. Their quick bowlers weren’t able to extricate anything out of the docile surface, and their spinners struggled, too.
Amla and De Kock were able to bring up South Africa’s first century stand in this format since August last year, when Amla and Morne van Wyk shared a partnership of 108 against New Zealand at the same ground.
At that time De Kock had been dropped from the side following a poor run of form at the World Cup and in Bangladesh.
That break from the national team has done him the world of good.
He played magnificently in India last October, and when recalled to the Test side made a fine hundred in the last Test at this venue.
Last night he was dominant in making the 10th century of his career, and did so in typically flamboyant fashion.
He and Amla registered South Africa’s third 200-run partnership in ODIs for the first wicket.
Never mind building a foundation, the pair effectively won the game for the home side, and the finishing touches were applied with a fair amount of comfort.
Amla brought up his 22nd ODI century – taking him clear of Herschelle Gibbs on 21 and leaving him one behind AB de Villiers – as South Africa closed in on a crucial win.
England’s innings was dominated by a fine century from Joe Root.
The quality of the knock was not down to its aesthetics – not initially, anyway – but rather his resolve.
Root battled early on to come to terms with the twopaced nature of the surface, and rather than just try to hang around he threw his bat at the ball and got away with some fortunate inside and outside edges.
Such is the manner of England’s one-day batting these days though that the luck Root and Alex Hales had early on was entirely deserved.
To play in such an attacking manner is something England are still getting used to, but the benefits will be fruitful, as they were yesterday.
Root and Hales added 125 for the second wicket – the opener notched up a third consecutive 50 – while Root got to his seventh ODI century , once again underlining his class on a tour in which he has shone.
There was a typically bruising half-century from Ben Stokes, but the difference between England’s very good total and one that would have put them out of sight of the hosts was the loss of four wickets for 24 runs in 31 balls at the end of the innings.
On a flat pitch South Africa’s bowling was okay. For the first half they seemed unable to decide which length to bowl, and they were too short.
But the second half of the innings, when demands were simpler, suited them, and they kept England, with the exception of Stokes, in check.