The Proteas’ Tri-Series T20 International game against New Zealand at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday was supposed to offer an opportunity to polish shortcomings in their game, but the result has only raised further questions.
The South Africans slumped to a seven-wicket defeat, the second time the Black Caps have got one over them in the series. The Proteas will have a few days to debrief and strategise as they seek to ensure the Kiwis don’t make it three on the bounce in Saturday’s final.
The Black Caps showed positive intent from the outset and cruised to the 135-run target with 25 balls to spare. Wicketkeeper batter Tim Seifert was the chief engineer of the Proteas’ downfall with his unbeaten 66 runs off 48 balls including six fours and two sixes
He and Devon Conway came out of the blocks like a bullet train, punishing any loose delivery and the New Zealanders surpassed 50 runs within five overs. Conway, who had been slightly less aggressive than Seifert perished when lashing out at Andile Simelane's fullish, wide delivery outside off and was caught behind by Lhuan-dre Pretorius for 19.
Senuran Muthusamy gave SA some hope soon after the power play, dismissing Rachin Ravindra for three and Mark Chapman for 10. But that did not stymie Seifert who continued to score at will, moving to his 11th T20 International career fifty.
Disciplined bowling from the Black Caps in the opening and middle periods ensured the Proteas were restricted to 134/8, their second-lowest total when batting first in the series.
Shukri Conrad and his management team shuffled the batting order, Pretorius down to No 5 after he opened previously with returns of 0, 27 and 4. That saw Reeza Hendricks (41) getting the ball rolling for the team with captain Rassie van der Dussen.
The experiment didn’t pay off though as Van der Dussen, who had scored a half century in the previous game against Zimbabwe, was sent packing for just 14 runs in the third over. His offstump was uprooted after swinging wildly at an Adam Milne delivery.
The Black Caps’ decision to bowl was a good one as they got purchase on the Harare surface, suffocating the Proteas’ top order that led to a period of 15 balls where they failed to score a boundary.
Hendricks eventually broke those shackles in the fifth over with a maximum and the Proteas reached 34/1 in the first power play. Five balls later, the Proteas hero from Sunday, Rubin Hermann, was brilliantly run out by Mark Chapman for 10.
That sparked a domino effect as SA lost Dewald Brevis for 13 after he edged Will O’Rouke behind to Tim Seifert. That was followed by Pretorius’ soft dismissal for a single to Mitch Santner, leaving Proteas in a spot of bother at 57/4 after 10 overs.
Hendricks remained resolute as the New Zealand spinners and pacers turned the screws. But he lost another partner in Simelane, trapped leg before wicket by Santner for 11, before combining with George Linde for a 30-run stand in 16 balls, the highest of the innings.
Hendricks eventually fell while hunting down his half-century as he slapped a Jacob Duffy ball straight to Michael Bracewell at cover in the 16th over. He faced 37 balls and struck four fours and a six. Duffy also accounted for Gerald Coetzee’s first baller.
Senuran Muthusamy followed soon after, but Linde, who finished with an unbeaten 23, ensured there was no further damage by the men from the land of the long white cloud.
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