Proteas suffer Wanderers nightmare again to surrender T20 series

Assistant coach Enoch Nkwe billed the deciding T20 between the Proteas and Australia as a “World Cup final”.

While it didn’t quite turn into a repeat of the Wanderers nightmare, it resembled the Springboks’ charge as the visitors claimed a 2-1 series victory by virtue of a 97-run triumph at Newlands on Wednesday night.

Yet some of the similarities from that embarrassment were startling.

Quinton de Kock again made the strange call of fielding first at a venue where batting second is difficult, while one had to wonder the wisdom of not rather taking first strike and applying a bit of scoreboard pressure.

Instead, Australia strode to a competitive 193/5, a total that immediately felt beyond the South Africans’ capabilities.

The home side could point to the morale-shattering last over of the innings, where the audacious Steve Smith (30 off 15) brilliantly carted 20 runs off Anrich Nortje’s final over, but the damage was done far earlier.

In all fairness, there has been signs of the Proteas seamers slowly but steadily making improvements to their death bowling – Lungi Ngidi (1/33) was the star in that regard in this match – though that is being offset by some patent cluelessness in the powerplay.

Australia, on the back of a superb 120-run opening partnership between David Warner (57 off 37) and Aaron Finch (55 off 37), racked up 75 runs in the first six overs.

The problem with such a rollicking start is that the momentum created is simply too powerful even for the admirable left-arm spin of Tabraiz Shamsi, who bowled another fine spell of 1/25, to pull back.

The Proteas were out of it before the end of the first over already when Mitchell Starc (3/22) castled Quinton de Kock with a carbon copy of the perfect late outswinger that proved too good for the home skipper up on the Highveld.

Rassie van der Dussen (24) and Heinrich Klaasen (22) briefly tried to launch a counterattack of sorts before being undone by the spin twins, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa.

Agar, who took a hat-trick at the Wanderers, finished with 3/16, while leggie Zampa was excellent with 2/10.

Tellingly, Starc and his dynamic partner, Pat Cummins, accounted for South Africa’s most experienced batters in Faf du Plessis and David Miller.

Their struggles make one believe the national selectors have a point in rather trying to cultivate a bit of depth in the upcoming ODI series.

The veterans sure ain’t pulling their weight.

At least the Proteas managed to avoid their lowest total in the format by seven runs this time.

That’s not an attempt at dark humor.

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