‘We’ll get a couple of drinks down KG later,’ says Proteas’ Rickelton

So after all that — the no-balls, a run-out off a free hit, two super overs, low sixes, high sixes and some wides — Ryan Rickelton’s initial feelings about South Africa’s double “super over” victory were: “Cricket sucks — that’s the No 1 thought.”

He added: “Jis but that was a cracking game!”

It was. But cricket does also still suck — just ask Kagiso Rabada. The Proteas were on the field at least 40 minutes longer than they should have been because of their premier fast bowler.

Afghanistan’s spirited pursuit of the 188-run target had been hampered by the dismissal of two set batters, including the magnificent Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the 13th over. That created pressure that left Afghanistan needing 13 to win off the last over.

No-one better to entrust with that over than Rabada, right?

Two no-balls, a wide and a poorly executed bouncer that was duly slapped for six by Noor Ahmed left Rabada and the Proteas shocked. Normally he would have been considered for the super over, but there was no chance of that happening after that disastrous final over.

“We’ll give ‘KG’ [Rabada] a bit of time, but we’ll get our arms around him,” said Rickelton. “We’ll probably get a couple of drinks down him later. He’s one of us through thick and thin.”

Rabada has enough credit in the books with his teammates, given all the magic he’s conjured in the last decade — but it was a salutary lesson even for one as great as him. In fact, there were lessons all over and throughout the more than four hours of insanity that unfolded at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.

“It gives us a proper wake-up call. There are things you can’t take for granted,” said Rickelton.

He added quickly that South Africa didn’t look past Afghanistan. They are no longer a tier-2 nation, certainly not in the limited-overs formats.

Rather, Rickelton was pointing to South Africa’s shortcomings: how they didn’t take advantage of the foundation he and Quinton de Kock had built through their 114-run second-wicket partnership, which was ended when both were dismissed in the same over by Rashid Khan. South Africa lost four wickets for 33 runs in five overs in that period, needing David Miller and Marco Jansen to drag them to a competitive total of 187/6.

Then, having created a winning moment with Gurbaz’s dismissal, they opened numerous doors, allowing Afghanistan back into the contest.

I said to Dave, who was next to me, ‘Come on, two dots we win this game.’ Then we get a wicket and then three sixes in a row set the cat among the pigeons. We were standing there thinking, surely not, this can’t be real.

—  Ryan Rickelton

“It’s just the small things when you have opportunities to close down a game or opportunities with the foot on their throat — you can’t let any team back in,” Rickelton said.

“I’d like to think that in trying to have that edge, when you get ahead, you stay ahead. We must make sure we are looking after those really small things. It can come back to bite you. There are a lot of things we can get better at.”

While there’ll be plenty to unpack in terms of the errors committed on Wednesday, the Proteas deserve credit for some of the good that emerged from the game. Rickelton and De Kock’s partnership was superb, as was the hitting from Tristan Stubbs and David Miller in the two super overs.

The fielding was also of the highest quality, be it the catching — George Linde, Stubbs and Miller all took sublime grabs — or the ground fielding that generated two run-outs.

Between the senior players and management there was also a lot of composure shown for those super overs, including who would bowl them and who would bat.

“Generally the discussion is between the ‘death’ hitters, Dave and Aiden. Quinny and I and Aiden were options. But that is why you have Miller and Stubbs, guys who can finish games, who can hit low full-tosses for six.

“That last low shot for six by Stubbo [to tie the first super over] proved exactly why they are worth the money. It’s incredibly difficult.”

It was coach Shukri Conrad’s choice to back left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj with the second super over. “We wanted to change it up, bowl slow and wide, get them to hit through extra cover to the big boundary, which is the most difficult shot,” said Rickelton.

Still, Gurbaz struck three consecutive sixes, and another would have won the game for Afghanistan — a four, after Maharaj bowled a wide, would have forced another tie.

“Glad it came off,” chirped Rickelton. “I said to Dave, who was next to me, ‘Come on, two dots, we win this game.’ Then we get a wicket and then three sixes in a row set the cat among the pigeons. We were standing there thinking, surely not, this can’t be real.”

But it was — and thankfully South Africa won.

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