Hendricks and Baartman impress in Proteas’ opening defeat in Jamaica

Struggles in the power play with bat and ball were the central features in South Africa’s 28-run defeat to the West Indies in the first T20 International at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday night. 

The Proteas executed poorly with the ball after stand-in skipper Rassie van der Dussen won the toss and fielded first, conceding 64 runs in the opening six overs.

With the bat, in pursuit of a target of 176, they lost three wickets, leaving them in a position from which they constantly had to play catch-up.

Reeza Hendricks scored 87 off 51 deliveries, but his teammates failed to generate any partnerships with him as South Africa was bowled out for 147 in the final over.

“We took too long to [come to terms] with the pitch,” Van der Dussen said about his side’s effort with the ball.

It was a sluggish surface at a venue that won’t be hosting matches in next month’s T20 World Cup.

“They won the game in the first innings, par was probably 150.”

West Indies’ stand-in captain Brandon King dominated the opening exchanges with a thunderous 79 off 45 balls that featured half a dozen sixes and the same number of fours. He took advantage of the Proteas’ problems with finding the right lengths, clouting a number of boundaries off flimsy short pitch bowling. 

Ottniel Baartman, making his debut, was the only bowler to find success in the power play, removing Johnson Charles for 1 — but it was only by the midway point of the innings that South Africa finally came to terms with the surface and the fact that cutters and slower balls, pitched back of a good length, were the way to go. 

King acknowledged afterwards that he felt his team should have made 200, such was their start, but they had to adjust once the tourists employed more variety with the ball.

“We knew we had to go hard against the new ball as it would get tougher later. We had 200-220 in mind as we had wickets in mind but fell short on a tough pitch,” he said. 

Andile Phehlukwayo’s skills were ideally suited to the surface and he picked up 3/28, while Baartman, who is in the World Cup squad, finished with 3/26.

Quinton de Kock hit a beautiful on-drive off the first ball, but remained rooted to the crease for the second, swinging his arms casually to a full delivery and nicking off to give the West Indies the ideal start. 

Ryan Rickelton, also making his debut, was flummoxed by Roston Chase, and when Matthew Breetzke was trapped lbw by Shamar Joseph, the Proteas found themselves three down by the end of the fifth over. 

Hendricks had faced little of the bowling in that period, scoring only a single boundary in the power play.  He started the seventh over with a somewhat fortuitous six over long-off against Obed McCoy and from then on anchored the innings.

There were several typically elegant and wristy shots through the offside as the 34-year-old notched a career-best 87, hitting six fours and the same number of sixes.

“Reeza showed how we should have played,” said Van der Dussen.  “He's a world-class act. He'll take confidence from this.”

It is Hendricks' eighth half-century in his last 14 T20 International innings and his consistency is something the Proteas will rely on heavily at the World Cup.

The same can’t be said for De Kock, who has made one 50 in his last eight T20 innings and has generally struggled to score since the ODI World Cup last year, where he was South Africa’s stand out performer. 

The teams play the second of three matches on Saturday with series concluding on Sunday. 

* Anrich Nortjé sat out Thursday’s match with a lower back spasm.