Ken Borland

National selector Vinnie Barnes said on Tuesday that he was surprised both by South Africa’s lack of success in Zimbabwe and the conditions which the team played in during the T20 triangular series.

South Africa were hammered by nine wickets by Zimbabwe in the final of the tournament last weekend, having been beaten once each by both the hosts and Bangladesh in the round-robin stage.

“I was a bit surprised, I thought we’d play better. I know there was a bit of rustiness and they were up against international bowlers, especially the slower bowlers, who are world-class. It was also difficult for the batsmen because it was not easy just to come in and score runs,” Barnes said at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria on Tuesday.

“I was also surprised by the conditions. Last year when South Africa A played a triangular series with Zim and Australia A, the conditions weren’t like that at all. At the start, teams were defending 230 in 50 overs, but, by the end, teams were scoring 300.”

The T20 triangular series was regarded as a warm-up/trial for the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in Sri Lanka in September, and South Africa will probably be met by similar conditions on the sub-continental island.

“Some places in Sri Lanka will be similar, but at others you’ll be looking to defend 200. But the pitches will generally be slow and turning and the ball won’t be bouncing much,” Barnes conceded.

But the former national assistant coach said the trip should not be regarded as a failure, because it has brought more clarity to selection, some players advancing their cause and others dissuading the national selectors of their suitability.

“We definitely have more clarity now, it gives us ideas of what combinations will work. Gary Kirsten wanted specific players to rest for the tour and we wanted to have a look at fringe players, we wanted to know what was available for our best 15 for Sri Lanka,” Barnes said.

There has been a simmering air of discontent over South Africa’s strength in depth after the unexpected results, but Barnes, who is currently coaching the SA A team, put the inconsequential defeats into context.

“Lonwabo Tsotsobe is still the number one ranked bowler in limited-overs cricket, even though it was disappointing to see him not being so effective, and Wayne Parnell and Marchant de Lange are both quality bowlers who are coming up through the system.

“Our preparations this winter are all about the A team shadowing the national side and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the energy and drive and ambition there is to play for the national team. It’s higher than I expected, even more than last year.

“A lot of time and effort is spent with the A team and we give them all the necessary tools to get them where they should be,” Barnes said.

As the South Africa A team prepare to do battle with Sri Lanka A in two four-day matches, plus a one-day triangular series in Zimbabwe against the same opposition and their neighbours, it would be stupid to write off the system that has served brilliantly as a pipeline in the past, based on one poor series of matches that were being used more as a trial than competitive outings.

Even though Quinton Friend is likely to sit out with a strained back, South Africa A will still field a top-class attack with De Lange, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, Chris Morris and Parnell all available, while leg-spinner Imran Tahir will be making a guest appearance in the first four-day match at Kingsmead.

A batting line-up featuring Faf du Plessis, Farhaan Berhardien, Dean Elgar, Colin Ingram, Heino Kuhn, Richard Levi, David Miller, Justin Ontong and Dane Vilas should certainly also engender a great deal of confidence, and a clearer picture of South Africa’s depth should emerge after SA A complete the four-dayers and the limited-overs triangular on July 21.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120626/Barnes_surprised_by_lack_of_success

The cancers of lacklustre batting and a host of extras conceded by the bowlers cost South Africa dearly as they lost by three wickets to Bangladesh in their T20 match at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120622/Sillyerror_cancers_cost_SA_dearly

South Africa batted poorly to post just 129 for seven, Bangladesh getting to their target with a ball to spare as all-rounders Mahmudullah (28) and Ziaur Rahman (27*) finished the job after a strong platform was laid up front by Mohammad Ashraful (40).

South Africa’s bowlers contrived to concede eight wides and two no-balls, as well as 10 leg-byes because of leg-side bowling. One of the no-balls cost the vital wicket of Ziaur when he was bowled by Parnell on 11 in the 17th over.

The tourists also dropped two catches, with Farhaan Behardien dropping Ziaur on the boundary, also when he had 11, and Marchant de Lange spilling a tougher boundary chance from Ashraful on 34.

Marchant de Lange removed Junaid Siddique for five, slicing a catch to third man, in the second over, but an awful second over from the fast bowler gave vital momemtum to Bangladesh.

It’s certainly breathless stuff when De Lange is in action and he started the fourth over of the innings with two wide bouncers down leg, a third wide bouncer which was called a no-ball for height, and then his fourth delivery was also a leg-side wide. Anamul Haque then clipped a four through midwicket, but a brilliant, fast yorker then trapped him lbw for four. Ashraful then ended the shambolic over with successive boundaries, the first via a magnificent cover-drive.

Ashraful continued to play some amazing strokes as he dominated a third-wicket stand of 41 before Wayne Parnell breathed new life into South Africa’s chances by taking two wickets in the ninth over.

Flapping at bouncers proved the undoing of Mushfiqur Rahim (7) and Nasir Hossain (0) and Ashraful, whose tendency to give his wicket away at crucial times is rapidly becoming a chronic disease, then holed out on Albie Morkel’s second ball in the 13th over.

But Mahmudullah and Ziaur then combined to take Bangladesh to the brink of victory as they added 40 in 5.5 overs before De Lange bowled a superb penultimate over, removing Mahmudullah and conceding just three runs, two of them leg-byes, to give South Africa a slim chance.

Bangladesh needed just three runs off Chris Morris’s final over to win and great stops by Behardien and Colin Ingram, plus the wicket of Farhad Reza for a single, kept them to just a single off the first four balls. But Ziaur then sliced a low full toss to the backward point boundary to clinch victory.

A poor batting display by South Africa had earlier seen them struggle to 129 for seven.

There was precious little by way of free strokeplay by the South Africans as the effects of a slow pitch, excellent Bangladesh bowling and enthusiastic fielding strangled them.

South Africa had won the toss and batted first, but were off to a poor start as they slumped to 34 for three in the seventh over.

Faf du Plessis (13) tried to heave left-arm spinner Elias Sunny on the leg side, but skewed the ball over wide mid-on, Ziaur Rahman back-pedalling and taking a good lunging catch.

Colin Ingram scored just a single before he chipped a return catch to off-spinner Mahmudullah and South Africa then lost the wicket of Hashim Amla in disastrous fashion, the captain being run out as Justin Ontong pushed Sunny square on the off-side and thought about a quick single before sending his partner back too late. Nasir Hossain scored a super direct hit and Amla was out for 20, which came off 19 balls and included two boundaries through the covers.

Ontong and Farhaan Behardien added 56 for the fourth wicket, but it was not at a healthy run-rate, the runs coming off 58 balls, leaving the lower-order under more pressure when the partnership was broken with just four overs remaining and the total just 90.

Ontong’s 41 off 36 balls was a good contribution, but the hazards of the pitch even had him subdued, despite all his experience of playing on the similar Paarl pitch for the Western Cape Cobras.

Ontong fell in disappointing fashion, charging down the pitch and missing a heave at Ziaur, wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who set the tone for an impressive fielding effort, completing a sharp stumping standing up to the medium-pacer.

Behardien, Albie Morkel and Chris Morris are all dangerous hitters but they all frittered away their wickets in the closing overs.

Behardien was caught behind off the impressive Sunny for 16 off 26 balls, while Morkel (12) picked up a well-struck six before holing out off Mashrafe Mortaza.

While Bangladesh brought intensity to their fielding, South Africa’s running between the wickets was poor and Morris could face just one ball, without getting off the mark, before he ran himself out charging down the pitch for a non-existent second run. Sunny was the fielder, adding a run out to his superb bowling figures of 2-21 in four overs.

Dane Vilas (8*) and a typically useful late cameo from Robin Peterson (11* off six) provided the finishing touches to an innings that was an uphill struggle all the way.

While Sunny was the best of the bowlers, fellow spinner Abdur Razzak (4-0-17-0) and Mahmudullah (3-0-18-1) were also impressive, while just 15 runs came from the three combined overs of medium-pacers Farhad Reza (2-0-8-0) and Ziaur (1-0-7-1).

It required a brilliant effort in the field from South Africa for them to pull this game out of the fire, but the bowlers were wayward and South Africa now have to beat Zimbabwe on Saturday to make it into the final.

There is clearly plenty of work still to do for South Africa in T20 cricket as they slumped to a 29-run defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in their Pran RFL Triangular Series match at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120620/Plenty_of_work_to_do_for_SA

South Africa’s back-up attack is a worry as they conceded 176 for four after Zimbabwe chose to bat first; and the home attack then sent out a clear warning that spinners and bowlers who take the pace off are still a major threat for the South African batsmen as they bowled them out for 147.

Richard Levi had given South Africa a solid start with his 40 off 28 balls, but his soft dismissal, pulling off-spinner Prosper Utseya to cow-corner, and the decision to move Justin Ontong (4) and Dane Vilas (0) up the order proved costly as the tourists slumped from 73 for one after eight overs to 91 for five just four overs later.

Colin Ingram, who was dropped first ball by Vusi Sibanda, scored a defiant 48 off 39 balls, but when Sibanda caught him at deep mid-off off the bowling of the superb Christopher Mpofu in the 18th over, it was all over for South Africa.

Hashim Amla (11) still looked in prime form as he collected two boundaries off Kyle Jarvis in the second over, but in the next over, he tried to drive Mpofu on the up and could only sky a catch into the hands of the back-pedalling Hamilton Masakadza.

Mpofu had Ingram dropped at square-leg by Sibanda in the fifth over but took a break with excellent figures of one for 14 in three overs.

But Jarvis continued to leak runs at the other end, going for 28 in two, and South Africa were in charge until the introduction of spinners Graeme Cremer and Prosper Utseya.

Utseya removed Levi and Cremer then heaped more pressure on the South Africans by dismissing Ontong – off a cramped drive – and Vilas, who tried to cut a big-turning googly and chopped on, with successive deliveries in the 10th over.

Cremer struck again in his next over with the even bigger scalp of JP Duminy (6). The left-hander also fell to the googly, which Cremer almost turns more than his stock leg-break, and was so far down the pitch that wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor could afford three attempts to complete the stumping!

Ingram and Albie Morkel found ways to score off Cremer, though, as they gave South Africa a chance, taking 15 runs off the leg-spinner in the 14th over, to leave the visitors needing 63 off six overs to win.

Morkel had hit Cremer a long way for six but then found a frustrating way to get out as he bottom-edged a cut at a very wide delivery from Richard Muzhange and was caught behind for 10.

Muzhange was brilliant at the death, taking two for 16 in three overs, but no one bowled better than Mpofu, who finished with three for 20, removing the dangerous Robin Peterson (13) and Ingram in the 18th over.

Cremer finished with three for 29 and Utseya one for 27 in four overs as Zimbabwe pulled off one of their most famous victories.

Half-centuries by both opening batsmen had been the key feature as Zimbabwe posted a fine 176 for four.

South Africa again produced a mediocre bowling display and a messy performance in the field and will have to chase down a testing target on a pitch that is offering turn and grip for the slower balls.

Zimbabwe won the toss and batted and openers Sibanda and Masakadza immediately had the South African bowlers under pressure as they breezed to 38 without loss in five overs.

It just got worse for the visitors as Sibanda and Masakadza reached 50 in the seventh over and raised their century partnership after just 12 overs.

Perhaps one shouldn’t expect miracles just a day after their disappointing first match against Bangladesh, but the South African bowlers once again failed to build pressure, bowling towards the leg-side too often and not stacking up dot balls.

Sibanda and Masakadza eventually added 114 for the first wicket before Masakadza tried to slog-sweep left-arm spinner Peterson, who held the ball back and was rewarded with a catch at cow-corner.

Masakadza, powerful and lethal on the leg side, scored 55 off 39 balls, with five fours and a six.

Sibanda enjoyed himself until the 16th over, hammering four fours and two sixes in his 58 off 50 balls before Parnell had him caught at deep backward point in the 16th over.

The over was an eventful one, also featuring a dropped catch on the boundary by Levi, a four and another wicket when Elton Chigumbura mistimed a pull off the left-arm seamer to be caught off the first ball he faced.

Captain Taylor, dropped by Ontong on the midwicket boundary off Morkel on six, was the star of the closing overs, joining in on the feast as he bashed three fours and two sixes in lashing 38 off 21 balls. His innings ensured Zimbabwe posted a testing target after a very promising start.

Taylor fell to the first ball of the final over when he somehow managed to glove what should have been a free hit at a wretched short ball down leg from Marchant de Lange to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, who took a good catch diving forward.

Peterson enjoyed bowling on a pitch that suited him, finishing with one for 29 in his four overs, while Morkel (3-0-26-0) and De Lange, in a final over that cost just seven runs, did well when called upon to bowl at the most inconvenient times.

Both South Africa and India’s batsmen plundered runs before rain had the final say and gave the hosts an 11-run victory on the Duckworth/Lewis Method in the New Age Friendship Cup T20 at the BidVest Wanderers Stadium on Friday.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120330/Rain_returns_and_SA_win_on_DL

Jacques Kallis and Colin Ingram blazed half-centuries to lay the foundation for South Africa’s total of 219 for four, and Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa were making a very good fist of the chase as they took India to 71 without loss in just 7.5 overs before rain stopped play.

After ending their innings on a tremendous high, Justin Ontong and Albie Morkel lashing 26 runs off the final over, South Africa were unable to make a breakthrough with the ball, but Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s three overs for just 15 runs were ultimately the difference as India were behind according to the Duckworth/Lewis calculation, but in control in many people’s eyes.

Gambhir hit seven fours and a six in his 49 not out off just 28 balls. It was a stunning mix of stylish strokeplay and awesome power from the left-hander and it definitely had South Africa on the back foot.

Uthappa had made it to 18 not out off 19 balls when the rain arrived to end the match.

Tsotsobe was the only bowler to keep the batsmen quiet, not conceding a boundary. The other four bowlers used by South Africa conceded 53 runs in 4.5 overs.

South Africa had earlier charged to the fourth-highest T20 international total ever as they plundered 219 for four.

Kallis – who was being “honoured” by the game – and Ingram established South Africa’s dominance with a record second-wicket stand of 119 off 81 balls, before Ontong and Morkel provided an emphatic conclusion by taking 26 runs off the final over bowled by Suresh Raina.

With overcast, rainy skies over the Wanderers only clearing a couple of hours before the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni called correctly and then sent South Africa in. Richard Levi hit four of his first six balls to the boundary, but his cameo was over almost before it had begun as left-armer Irfan Pathan switched to over the wicket and immediately had him caught at slip by Rohit Sharma for 19.

The colder weather in Johannesburg may have helped the amazing Kallis, but having flown halfway around the world from chilly New Zealand just 48 hours previously, the great all-rounder produced another remarkable innings to celebrate his own party.

Showing his usual ice-cool judgment, Kallis was content to push singles, until he found the length he wanted. He would then positively murder the ball, lashing five fours and two sixes in his 61 off 42 balls.

Ingram, battling to establish himself at international level, had a dream evening as he blasted a career-best 78 off 50 balls, with eight fours and three sixes.

Their century stand – coming off 72 balls – was the sixth by a pair of South African batsmen and the first against India. They batted through until the end of the 15th over, when Kallis was eventually caught by Rohit on the midwicket boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin.

That just seemed to bring out the best in Ingram as the last five overs produced a great finish by the South Africans – 78 runs being scored in the last five overs!

Ingram cut loose by scoring his last 28 runs off just 12 balls, finishing with eight fours and three sixes, most of his strokes being in keeping with the MCC Coaching Manual.

Off-spinner Raina had been the one Indian bowler to police the South Africans up till then and he removed Ingram at the start of the 18th over, Rohit taking his third catch of the innings – the first Indian to do so – diving forward at deep midwicket.

Only five runs had come from the over, before Ontong ended it with a slog-swept six over midwicket.

Irfan was then tidy in the 19th, conceding just a single Ontong boundary, before the experienced right-hander went into overdrive by hitting the first two balls of Raina’s final over for four and six. Ontong then missed a cunning quicker, flatter delivery from Raina to be bowled for a quickfire 22 off seven balls, but Morkel was just the man to close the innings, going six-four-six to finish with 16 not out off three balls.

Debutant Farhaan Behardien kept the momentum going with his 20 not out off 11 balls and these are exciting days for South African batting when one considers Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis weren’t even playing!

The end result was South Africa’s highest total against India, beating the 172-5 in the 2010 T20 World Cup in the West Indies, and the second-highest score they have ever made, behind the 241-6 against England at SuperSport Park in 2009/10.

The off-spinner Ashwin was the most economical of the visiting bowlers, with one for 33 in his four overs.