Proteas must maintain intensity in second T20 – captain Heinrich Klaasen

Not making use of the facilities at your disposal is one of the serious crimes of the sporting world, and Proteas captain Heinrich Klaasen says his team wasting a handful of their overs cost them the match in the first T20 against Pakistan.

This, he feels, is what they have to put right in the games on Saturday and Sunday in Lahore if they are to win the series.

South Africa fell three runs short in a gutsy effort on Thursday, but they would have expected to chase down 170 on a good pitch for batting.

Having been 51 without loss after the six powerplay overs, however, the Proteas then lost their way as the next six overs saw them slip to 83 for three, leaving them to score 87 runs off 48 balls, which was too steep a task.

ALSO READ: Proteas edged in first T20 as Pakistan’s spinners shine

“I thought that Pakistan were 10 runs short and I was very happy with our effort in the field and to be chasing 170,” Klaasen said.

“But it was just four or five overs in the middle where we made life very difficult for ourselves. Usman Qadir bowled two overs and had two for four in that middle phase, and that put us on the back foot in the middle overs.

“Hopefully we can lift our intensity in that middle phase and then we’ll get over the line.”

ALSO READ: Bumper limited overs schedule confirmed for Pakistan’s SA tour

Among the positives in the batting was that Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks came off as an opening pair.

Malan blazed his way to 44 off 29 balls before becoming Qadir’s first victim as he was made to look silly by a superb delivery, while Hendricks batted as the anchor and made it through to the 18th over, scoring 54 off 42 balls.

Some critics described Hendricks’ innings as being too slow, but with wickets tumbling at the other end he obviously saw his role as being to bat for as long as possible until someone could form another partnership with him.

“We didn’t do too badly, but we just slipped up in the crucial moments,” Klaasen said.

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