Flower power triumphs where Bok brawn fails
The Proteas went where the Springboks and Bafana Bafana could not this weekend when they beat India by 214 runs in the fifth and final one-day international in Mumbai yesterday. South Africa's score of 438/4 matched their record total in the famous 2006 run-chase victory over Australia at the Wanderers and was the highest ODI score yet amassed in India.AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis all scored hundreds yesterday. Only once before, in 3700 ODIs, has an innings included three centurions.South Africa clinched the series 3-2 to win their first series in a bilateral one-day series in India."What a great day for South African cricket," captain De Villiers said afterwards. "We haven't achieved this before. All teams know how difficult it is to come to India and play well."Yesterday's triumph was in sharp contrast to Saturday's disappointments for South Africans on faraway football and rugby fields.In Britain, the Springboks' World Cup hopes were snuffed out at England's rugby mecca, Twickenham, by the All Blacks who pipped them 20-18 in an epic semi-final.Bafana Bafana beat Angola 2-1 in their 2016 CHAN qualifier in Luanda, but went down3-2 on aggregate over two legs, to crash out of the running for a place in next year's tournament...
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