SA batsmen set responsibility as watchword for third New Zealand ODI
Cricketers tend to snag their attention on particular words‚ which could just as easily have been spoken at a team meeting as over a beer.
For South Africa’s batsmen‚ on the eve of the third one-day international against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday‚ three days after they frittered away a strong position to lose by six runs in Christchurch‚ that word is responsibility.
“As a batting unit we understood that nobody in that top six took responsibility‚” JP Duminy said in Wellington on Friday.
“A lot of us got in but we didn’t take it home for the team.
“That’s something we need to look at – especially myself‚ getting in and not taking it home for the team.”
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In Christchurch‚ Duminy played himself in and seemed set for a weighty score.
But‚ having faced 43 balls‚ he took off down the pitch to left-arm spinner Michael Santner‚ misread the delivery‚ and was stumped for 34.
Duminy wasn’t alone in helping to engineer his own dismissal‚ and he was one of the four South Africans who reached 30 but did not go on to a century.
That’s an indictment of an order in which the top 10 could all hold a bat decently.
“It’s a good thing and sometimes it can be a bad thing‚” Duminy said.
“Even though we bat deep it doesn’t mean the top order doesn’t have to take responsibility. It comes back to that same word.
“Yes‚ [batting depth] is a great thing to have but there’s still a lot of responsibility for the top six‚ top seven.”
Dwaine Pretorius looks to learn from Christchurch experience South Africa should have won the second one-day international against New Zealand in Christchurch on Wednesday.
Not that Duminy was trying to suggest the Kiwis had not earned their victory.
“If you think of the partnerships they had and taking wickets at crucial times to not let us build momentum‚ those are definitely departments they were better in‚” he said.
“New Zealand are always going to be tough opposition‚ especially in the shorter formats and in their own backyard.
“They’re going to compete until the last ball and we need to bring our best game.”
Kagiso Rabada has been part of South Africa’s best game since he made his debut in a T20 in November‚ 2014.
He missed Wednesday’s game with a knee niggle but could be back in the mix on Saturday.
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“He’s definitely up for selection‚” Duminy said.
“He’s been our main strike bowler in most formats and its always a great strength to have him in our attack.”
And Duminy himself? What did he want to bring to South Africa’s best game on Saturday?
“Hopefully the opportunity rises again where I can take full responsibility and capitalise‚” he said.
There’s that word again‚ and another that’s just as important.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport