Linde and Miller guide Proteas to thrilling T20 triumph over Pakistan

David Miller with the bat and George Linde with both bat and ball pulled South Africa across the line in a thrilling opening to Pakistan’s tour in Durban on Wednesday night.

The Proteas successfully defended a target of 184, emerging victors by 11 runs, to earn just their third win in a T20 International since the World Cup.

The match fluctuated one way then another, was seemingly in SA’s control going into the last five overs of the visitors’ run chase, but then turned again as Mohammad Rizwan suddenly woke up. 

With prayers being offered and nails being chewed, Kwena Maphaka, who’d only jetted into Durban on Tuesday morning after being part of the Test squad in Gqeberha, dismissed the Pakistan captain with the second ball of the last over, to secure the contest for the hosts.

The Proteas were grateful to Miller, one of the mainstays of the limited overs side in the last decade, and Linde, a player who perhaps should have been un-droppable in that period, for playing defining roles in what was an intriguing encounter.   

Miller brought classical batting to a T20 match — no fancy clicks or reverse this-and-that. Just a beautiful on-drive, a wristy clip through midwicket, a breathtaking lofted drive over wide long-off and a sizzling square drive that scorched the Durban air.

It was a dazzling display from a player who is still carrying the weight of disappointment following SA’s defeat in the World Cup final six months ago.

There was no need to get creative such was the purity of his ball striking, with Miller hitting eight sixes, one of which hindered traffic outside the ground, alongside four fours, in one of the most dominant innings of his stellar career.

The problem for the Proteas was no-one hung around long enough to forge a partnership with him, that would have taken the total beyond 200 — something India managed at the same venue last month. Miller and Heinrich Klaasen’s 43-run stand for the fourth wicket was the best of the innings, but the hosts needed a late spurt from Linde to get them to what turned out to be a match winning total.

Linde, who last played for the Proteas in 2021, made a grand comeback, batting at a strike rate of 200 in scoring 48 that included three fours and four sixes. He had a useful assistant in Kwena Maphaka, who showed a solid technique, hit two fours and hung around long enough to share what became a vital partnership of 42 for the ninth wicket — 30 of those runs coming off the last 12 balls. Ultimately Pakistan couldn’t match that. 

Pakistan’s 26-year-old wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed, who took 10 wickets across four matches against Zimbabwe during Pakistan’s recent tour there, took three wickets, two with googlies that neither Reeza Hendricks nor Andile Simelane had a clue about. Matthew Breetzke, one delivery after slog-sweeping Abrar for six, slapped a short ball from the wrist spinner to point.

Linde then led the charge with the ball, providing control as South Africa successfully squeezed the Pakistani batters with tight lines. 

Nevertheless, SA couldn’t dislodge Rizwan and while the Pakistan captain may not have batted as fluently as he would have liked, he was gaining a feel for the conditions, and when he exploded in the 17th over, taking 24 runs off Maphaka, he briefly changed the momentum of their innings. 

Linde grabbed the initiative back for the home team, picking up three wickets in the next over, to leave Rizwan, who ultimately finished with 74 from 62 balls, with an impossible task. 

Linde took 4/21 to go along with his 48 and will have earned a big tick next to his name as Rob Walter looks to rebuild SA’s T20 team.