Imran Tahir conceded five runs to defend 14 runs in the super over to help the Proteas clinch a thrilling victory, KHALID MOHIDIN reports from Newlands.
A thrilling encounter awaited the Newlands crowd on Tuesday evening as the Proteas took on Sri Lanka in the first T20I. The good news, at least for the Newlands faithful, was that the faulty floodlight shone brightly to give the fans their full money’s worth. It was a payback for the fans who lost out on a complete match in the fifth ODI.
A tidy bowling display set the tone for the home side, who restricted the visitors to 134-7, Andile Phehlukwayo starring with 3-25 and David Miller putting in a tidy performance in his first start with the gloves, completing a simple catch and a stumping.
This set up what should have been a simple chase for the Proteas.
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Reeza Hendricks (8), who was given another chance to prove himself as a deserving candidate for a ticket to the World Cup, only managed eight before he was run out cheaply in the fourth over.
It was a soft dismissal of Quinton de Kock (13) that saw him lose his wicket. He attempted to reverse paddle a length ball on leg-stump which he gloved to the Niroshen Dickwella behind the stumps.
Things started to become more slippery for the Proteas when they lost their skipper Du Plessis which set them back at 52-3. This gave Du Plessis what he wanted during the fifth ODI, a chance for his batsmen to show their chasing capabilities.
The Proteas lost three more wickets after taking hold of the match. Rassie van der Dussen lost his wicket on 34, followed by the unnecessary run-out of Miller after an exciting 23-ball 41.
Andile Phehlukwayo hit one four and then was caught on the long-on boundary. With four runs needed to win from seven balls, Kagiso Rabada was clean bowled by Lasith Malinga.
With three runs needed off two balls, JP Duminy (9) was run out. The Proteas finished on 134-8 in a tie at the end of the 20 overs.
In the super over, the Proteas batted first. Miller faced off against specialist death-bowling legend Malinga. Miller (13) hit a single, to put Van Der Dussen on strike, he too ran a single. Miller was back on strike and pulled a clean six, followed by a dot, four and two as the Proteas ended on 14.
Imran Tahir was trusted with the super over for the Proteas and he conceded just four runs as the Proteas sealed a win.
Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
