First the good news: Vernon Philander is back, Farhaan Behardien batted like he belonged for his career-best score, and South Africa banked another two points.
Now the bad: Hashim Amla took a blow on the wrist while batting, Philander’s performance was as flat as the man he replaced, Kyle Abbott, was unlucky to be left out, and the win was not as convincing as SA would have hoped.
For a team who have smashed opponents for more than 400 runs twice in their previous three matches, and who were facing perhaps the weakest attack at the World Cup, yesterday’s total of 341/6 was underwhelming.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) should have been snuffed out for fewer than 195 and in fewer than 47.3 overs.
But all of those aspects of yesterday’s World Cup match at the stadium known as The Cake Tin, were explainable.
Amla fielded and appears unharmed by his mishap, Philander will get his groove back, and this was less a match than a middle practice before next week’s knockout rounds.
What did not make sense was that Aaron Phangiso did not get a game.
Imran Tahir has played in nine of SA’s 11 one-day internationals this year, including all six of their World Cup matches. What could he gain from bowling 10 overs against batsmen who would struggle to tell a googly from a gargoyle?
If Tahir is injured before the quarterfinals, Phangiso will be thrust into action having not seen any game time at the tournament. And it will not have gone unnoticed in SA that Phangiso, the only black African in SA’s World Cup squad, is the only member of the squad who did not play a match in the group stage.
Philander, who left the field with a hamstring injury after bowling four overs against India in Melbourne on February 22, has missed SA’s previous three matches. And it showed on yesterday’s friendly pitch.
The Sydney Cricket Ground, where SA are likely to play their quarterfinal against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, is where AB de Villiers blazed 162 not out off 66 balls in the total of 408/5 his team made against West Indies. To call that pitch flat would be to flatter it.
Philander’s steadying bowling is important to the solidity of SA’s attack, but he travels if he doesn’t get help from the surface.
Abbott, who is able to extract bounce from even docile surfaces, took 8/109 in the three games in which he stood in for Philander.
That compares well with Morne Morkel’s haul in the same matches of 7/82 and Dale Steyn’s 6/93.
Unless a plan can be made to fit both Philander and Abbott into the XI next week, Abbott should crack the nod ahead of Philander. Not often will Behardien enjoy more of the limelight than De Villiers, but he did yesterday.
What with the standards De Villiers has set for himself, his 99 – he was caught at third man trying to slash his way to a second century of the tournament – was a disappointment.
Not so Behardien’s 64 not out, an innings of poise and power that flew off 31 balls and featured five fours and three sixes.
SA don’t have it all their own way
Now the bad: Hashim Amla took a blow on the wrist while batting, Philander’s performance was as flat as the man he replaced, Kyle Abbott, was unlucky to be left out, and the win was not as convincing as SA would have hoped.
For a team who have smashed opponents for more than 400 runs twice in their previous three matches, and who were facing perhaps the weakest attack at the World Cup, yesterday’s total of 341/6 was underwhelming.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) should have been snuffed out for fewer than 195 and in fewer than 47.3 overs.
But all of those aspects of yesterday’s World Cup match at the stadium known as The Cake Tin, were explainable.
Amla fielded and appears unharmed by his mishap, Philander will get his groove back, and this was less a match than a middle practice before next week’s knockout rounds.
What did not make sense was that Aaron Phangiso did not get a game.
Imran Tahir has played in nine of SA’s 11 one-day internationals this year, including all six of their World Cup matches. What could he gain from bowling 10 overs against batsmen who would struggle to tell a googly from a gargoyle?
If Tahir is injured before the quarterfinals, Phangiso will be thrust into action having not seen any game time at the tournament. And it will not have gone unnoticed in SA that Phangiso, the only black African in SA’s World Cup squad, is the only member of the squad who did not play a match in the group stage.
Philander, who left the field with a hamstring injury after bowling four overs against India in Melbourne on February 22, has missed SA’s previous three matches. And it showed on yesterday’s friendly pitch.
The Sydney Cricket Ground, where SA are likely to play their quarterfinal against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, is where AB de Villiers blazed 162 not out off 66 balls in the total of 408/5 his team made against West Indies. To call that pitch flat would be to flatter it.
Philander’s steadying bowling is important to the solidity of SA’s attack, but he travels if he doesn’t get help from the surface.
Abbott, who is able to extract bounce from even docile surfaces, took 8/109 in the three games in which he stood in for Philander.
That compares well with Morne Morkel’s haul in the same matches of 7/82 and Dale Steyn’s 6/93.
Unless a plan can be made to fit both Philander and Abbott into the XI next week, Abbott should crack the nod ahead of Philander. Not often will Behardien enjoy more of the limelight than De Villiers, but he did yesterday.
What with the standards De Villiers has set for himself, his 99 – he was caught at third man trying to slash his way to a second century of the tournament – was a disappointment.
Not so Behardien’s 64 not out, an innings of poise and power that flew off 31 balls and featured five fours and three sixes.
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