Ken Borland

Rassie van der Dussen, the reliable batsman who made yet another half-century on Friday as the T20 series against Pakistan was lost 3-1, admitted after the game that it has been a particularly tough time for the Proteas, and especially the regulars left behind to play with the second-stringers.

With five first-choice players departing for the IPL, South Africa’s resources were always going to be stretched against a full-strength Pakistan side that had already clinched the ODI series, and the home team then suffered another two major blows when captain Temba Bavuma and Van der Dussen himself suffered injuries.

Van der Dussen was able to return for the penultimate match, but his 52 off 36 balls was not able to prevent a three-wicket defeat with a ball remaining, to end another disappointing summer for the Proteas.

“We’ve had our challenges with the guys leaving for the IPL and then the injury blows. If you take seven of the best players out of any team they will be out of it for a while, but that has allowed guys to come in and show what they’re about, a lot of them are experienced franchise players with a lot of cricket under their belt this season.

“There were individuals who were brilliant at different stages, but as a team we weren’t consistent enough, we didn’t deliver a complete performance except in the second match at the Wanderers. We were patchy, which was not going to be good enough for a series against a Pakistan team that is settled with world-class batsmen and bowlers. It’s a bitter pill but we will use these lessons to grow,” Van der Dussen said.

Van der Dussen lauded his bowlers for their effort in almost defending a sub-standard total of just 144, saying the info from the South African batsmen was that it became harder to score as the ball became softer. Both innings reflected that, with the Proteas losing seven wickets for 36 runs from the 13^th over, and Pakistan suffering a collapse of 37 for five from the 10^th over.

“This pitch was bit dryer than for the previous game, the cracks had opened up more and it became slower as the ball got softer, the cutters started gripping, and the scoreboard reflects that. Par score was probably 170 to 180 though, so we were definitely short of runs. At Centurion, on a good pitch, to defend even 200 is tough.

“So I’m very proud of the way our bowlers went about it and the way they have grown this series. At the end of the day you have to look at yourself in the mirror and you know if you have given your all. We wanted to fight every ball, be relentless and never give up. And we fought back very well, which I’m really proud of. If you have to lose then that’s the way to do it,” Van der Dussen said.

Being very poor in short periods of play and not being desperate enough in the field were the two main concerns Proteas coach Mark Boucher has after the ODI series loss to Pakistan, but he is also worried about injuries to captain Temba Bavuma and key batsman Rassie van der Dussen heading into the T20 series.

South Africa lost the decisive 50-over match at Centurion on Wednesday evening by 28 runs but were competitive for almost the entire contest despite missing six first-choice players. They were not only deprived of their five IPL stars, but Van der Dussen had to pull out due to a quad strain.

“We want to start winning series, especially at home, so it is very disappointing to lose this one. We knew a while ago that the IPL guys would be leaving, so the players coming in were prepared. It was unfortunate to lose Rassie to injury, that was another blow, and although a couple of the guys coming in did really well, it’s not about individuals but about the team, and we lost.

“The problem is when we’re not good in certain pockets of the game we are really bad. For example the last two overs today going for 43 runs … if we had kept that down to 25 then we would have had a much better chance of winning. I would also like to see higher intensity and more desperation in the field; we maybe would have won the first ODI if we had been better in the field,” Boucher said after Wednesday’s match.

The coach said Van der Dussen and Bavuma, who injured his hamstring while batting, are both doubtful for the T20 series that starts on Saturday at the Wanderers.

“Rassie has between a Grade I and Grade II quad strain so he’s probably out for 10 days. We hope for a quick turnaround but it would be stupid to try and push him, so he’s not likely to get on the park. Temba is a tough guy but he’s hobbling in the changeroom and in quite a bit of pain, so I’m afraid it’s quite bad. But those are the cards we’ve been dealt and we have to find a way.

“The senior players need to stand up in those tough, pressurised moments. Even when we’ve played at only 50%, we’ve still had a chance to win if it were not for disappointing little things. But it was good to see we have some depth, we’ve got backup players who can stamp their mark on international cricket. Kyle Verreynne, Janneman Malan and Keshav Maharaj all did really well,” Boucher said.

Dominic Hendricks fell one short of a brilliant century as he was the Imperial Lions batsman who best defied an accurate Titans attack on the first day of their 4-Day Domestic Series match at the Wanderers on Tuesday.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, the Lions were bowled out for just 206, a moderate total when they would have been aiming for much higher. But it may yet prove to be a competitive score as the Wanderers pitch proved lively all day with good bounce and both swing and seam on offer.

Opener Hendricks was the one batsman to prosper though as the compact left-hander spent a single-minded 224 minutes at the crease, before Okuhle Cele zeroed in and trapped him lbw for 99.

The left-handed Hendricks was beaten as he tried to on-drive an inswinger, which left captain Nicky van den Bergh (41) to try and bolster the rest of the innings.

Van den Bergh was unfortunate to be run out at the bowler’s end when Williams could not hold a return catch from a fierce Kagiso Rabada straight drive, but the ball rebounded on to the stumps.

Williams, who bowled a disciplined line just outside off stump, then zipped through the tail to finish with three for 54 in 17 overs, while there were two wickets apiece for Dayyaan Galiem and Cele as all the Titans seamers impressed.

The Titans then had to weather 70 minutes of ferocious fast bowling that conjured up memories of some of the great pace attacks that have enjoyed bowling at the Wanderers, reaching 45 for one when bad light stopped play.

Aiden Markram was on 23 not out, but Dean Elgar was dismissed for two by Rabada, Temba Bavuma taking a superb catch, running back from mid-off and diving.

*The Dolphins, chasing a place in the final from Pool A, were able to bully the Warriors on the first day at St George’s Park.

The Dolphins attack, led by paceman Eathan Bosch (13-5-18-3), bundled the Warriors out for just 124 and the visitors then reached 67 for two at stumps.

*The Knights, the other Pool A team in contention, found the going tough at Newlands, despite winning the toss and batting against the Cape Cobras.

The Knights slumped to 36 for four and then 112 for eight after Raynard van Tonder’s 47, before some crucial late runs by tailenders Duan Jansen (23) and Alfred Mothoa (34) lifted them to 181.

Cobras new-ball bowlers Nandre Burger and Tshepo Moreki enjoyed the moist conditions as they took four wickets apiece.

Jansen did take an early wicket for the Knights, but Pieter Malan (51*) and Zubayr Hamza (29*) then added 73 to take the Cobras to 84 for one at stumps.

That Cricket South Africa are taking no chances with Covid was borne out on Wednesday as Titans batsman Theunis de Bruyn was pulled from the final day of their 4-Day Domestic Series match against the Knights in Centurion.

De Bruyn has had close contact with someone who has subsequently come down with symptoms of Covid and tested positive for the virus. Although the Proteas batsman has himself tested negative, the decision was made on Friday morning to pull him from the game between the two pool leaders as a precautionary measure, with another international, Heinrich Klaasen, replacing him.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Klaasen was initially rested from the game with a knee niggle, but now could well get a bat in the afternoon with the Titans on 258 for two in their second innings at lunch, leading by 107.

The 28-year-old De Bruyn has a franchise batting average of 46.98 and was considered a hot property in the early stages of his career. But in recent years he has been dogged by injuries, eye problems and illness and has lost his Proteas place after playing 12 Tests and two T20 Internationals.

De Bruyn scored a century in the opening match of the season against the Cape Cobras, but in 10 innings since then he has just 146 runs to his name, including 28 in the first innings of the game against the Knights.