Dwaine Pretorius looks to learn from Christchurch experience

23 February 2017 - 17:57 By Telford Vice
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Dwaine Pretorius of South Africa during his bright innings of 50 in game two of the ODI series between New Zealand and South Africa at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. New Zealand won by six runs to level the five-match series 1-1.
Dwaine Pretorius of South Africa during his bright innings of 50 in game two of the ODI series between New Zealand and South Africa at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. New Zealand won by six runs to level the five-match series 1-1.
Image: GETTY IMAGES

South Africa should have won the second one-day international against New Zealand in Christchurch on Wednesday.

Coulda‚ woulda‚ shoulda - too many of their batsmen wasted opportunities after doing the hard yards to get themselves in‚ and the Kiwis got home by six runs to level the series.

“Getting that close and not getting over the line is disappointing‚ but hopefully next time we’ll take a few lessons out of this game and make sure we do‚” Dwaine Pretorius said.

Pretorius‚ whose 50 off 27 balls brimmed with gees‚ was not among the disappointing.

Instead‚ he and Andile Phehlukwayo kept South Africa’s hopes alive with their ninth-wicket stand of 61.

“With four overs to go we needed 10 runs an over with one or two wickets in hand‚” Pretorius said.

“It was still their game to lose - with the experience they have in (Tim) Southee and (Trent) Boult they should back themselves to defend that.

“But I’m glad a few young guys‚ me and Andile‚ also handled the pressure really well.”

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Phehlukwayo joined Pretorius when South Africa‚ chasing an increasingly unlikely 290‚ had dwindled to 214/8 in the 42nd over. They needed 76 off 51‚ or 8.94 an over.

When they were separated with an over left in the match‚ the required runrate had climbed to 15.

But Pretorius‚ who hit the only two sixes in the match‚ had given the visitors hope.

“We took the game deep‚ and if you do that anything can happen‚” Pretorius said.

“If we scored three or four boundaries and just went run-a-ball we would have had the game. But they bowled really good yorkers.

“Boult bowled six in a row‚ Southee bowled four in a row. With 10 out of 12 balls yorkers‚ you’re not going to hit boundaries. Their experience came through.”

Pretorius said he would “love to be seen as a 50-50 allrounder‚ not either or”‚ and his batting on Wednesday - which followed 10 overs in which he took 2/40 and was the most economical among all who bowled their full quota - was a big step in that direction.

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That kind of thinking‚ and doing‚ would dovetail with what Pretorius has experienced in his six one-day internationals.

“It feels like the team doesn’t rely on one or two players - they rely on everyone to contribute‚” he said.

“If everyone can keep contributing like they are doing now‚ if a big player as an off day and someone else steps up then we are going to really play good cricket all over the world.”

Tomorrow the world‚ son. For now‚ put some of all that into practice in the third ODI in Wellington on Saturday.

- TMG Digital

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