'I actually got a bit emotional and needed to take a moment to gather myself and focus on the game' - Ngidi

21 January 2017 - 12:17 By Khanyiso Tshwaku
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Lungi Ngidi found himself overawed when the 12707 fans who braved the extended rain break gave him an ovation.

It was a deserved one as the youngster's 2/12 played a crucial role in South Africa's 19-run win against Sri Lanka in Friday's rain-shortened T20.

Ngidi's second over‚ the eighth in the 10-over shootout‚ saw the 21-year-old taking two wickets for only two runs‚ leaving Sri Lanka with too much to do in the last two overs bowled by Wayne Parnell and Andile Phehlukwayo.

“I've never heard people scream my name and it was an amazing thing because I've worked really hard to get to where I am at the moment‚" he said.

"The way the fans chanted my name and acknowledged me and my performance was amazing. I actually got a bit emotional and needed to take a moment to gather myself and focus on the game.

“I was nervous in the 10 overs because I've played in short format game and things turned out very badly. I knew I had to step up so I put all the negatives out of my head and all that was left for me was to go out there and do the job.”

Having been a part of the University of Pretoria teams that have done well at the Red Bull University Champs‚ there is a bit of the hard edge that has been forged in him in terms of delivering when he is under pressure.

Chances are he will be called on when the stakes are even higher but it seems that's something he is ready for.

There's the small matter of having to adapt to fans that he needs to deal with.

“I've played in a few finals and I've been under pressure quite a few times.

"That's one of the things that I felt were to my advantage‚ that of having been under pressure before.

"Also opening the bowling for your country is not a joke.

"I just tried to focus on the method that worked for me and also staying in the moment‚” Ngidi said.

“It's going to be overwhelming because I've never had that many people asking for my autograph.

"There's the odd one or two and now there'll be even more but I'll get there eventually.”

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