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Linde leads Proteas to comeback win

cricket27 June 2021 22:25| © MWP
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What a difference 24 hours makes. After suffering a battering from the West Indies on Saturday, the Proteas bounced back impressively on Sunday, levelling the five-match T20I series 1-1 when they beat the home team by 16 runs at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.

After being thrashed by eight wickets by a dominant home team on Saturday, particularly their top-order batsmen who claimed victory with a full five overs to spare, the Proteas’ bowlers, led by spinners George Linde – who was made player of the match for his figures of 2-19 in four overs – and Tabraiz Shamsi bowled excellently to restrict the home team to 150 for nine wickets in their 20 overs, chasing South Africa’s modest total of 166 for seven.

The margin of victory would have been greater without a dashing 34 in just 12 balls from allrounder Fabian Allen who smashed three sixes off the final over from Lungi Ngidi before being trapped leg before to the penultimate ball of the innings.

The key to South Africa's victory began with wickets in the powerplay, with Anrich Nortje bowling dangerman Evin Lewis who had bullied them for 71 in 35 balls in the first T20I.

This time he had reached 21 when he played a cross-batted stroke to a full delivery that kept a little low, rattling his stumps.

And then it was the turn of Kagiso Rabada who found a way to dismiss the great Chris Gayle. The left-hander got a leading edge to a delivery that he attempted to turn to leg, offering an easy catch to Linde in the covers.

BACK TO BASICS

That made the score 40 for two and the spinners took over, bowling a total of eight overs between them for 35 runs and three hugely important wickets.

First Nicholas Pooran, frustrated by lack of scoring opportunities, slogged Linde to David Miller in the outfield who took a fine catch.

Then skipper Kieron Pollard was superbly caught by a diving Reeza Hendricks running in from deep midwicket to provide Shamsi with his wicket before Linde struck again: this time it was Heinrich Klaasen who took a good catch in the deep when Russell tried to smash him over midwicket.

“I went back to basics again and did the things that got me into this team and luckily it paid off,” commented Linde after the game.

“I was happy with the way the ball came out; it was my day.”

Referring to South Africa’s improved approach he said: “We had a good team chat this morning and had a hard look at ourselves. We knew we could have done better yesterday and fortunately today it worked out for us.”

Asked if there was a difference in the conditions, Linde said: “I think the wicket was slower and took a little more spin. I’m always happy when that happens.”

Despite the spinners’ contribution, there were a few nervous moments for the Proteas at the end of the West Indies’ innings.

The home team’s counter-attack began with Jason Holder and opener Andre Fletcher who had survived the carnage earlier on.

The two men added 36 for the sixth wicket after coming together at 70 for five, before Fletcher, who had accumulated 35 in 36 balls, was caught by Klaasen on the cover boundary to provide Rabada with his second wicket.

Then it was the turn of Allen who struck five sixes in his punishing cameo before the Proteas finally edged home.

ROUSING START

Windies skipper Pollard conceded that his team’s “brave cricket” was sometimes foolhardy.

“I accept we occasionally need to temper our aggressive instincts but having said that we’re not going to change our basic approach. That’s we way we play the game.”

Earlier, the Proteas enjoyed a rousing start to their innings after Pollard won the toss and put them in to bat.

Openers Hendricks and Quinton de Kock, playing with flair and aggression, scored 73 off 41 balls, but once again they suffered the middle-order blues as they faded to 166 for seven – just six more runs than they managed on Friday.

The tourists raced to 69 without loss in the powerplay with the openers thrashing the West Indies’ bowlers to all corners as they exploited the advantageous field placings and the hard ball which travelled quickly across a harder outfield than had been the case on Friday.

But when De Kock was caught behind, attempting a reverse sweep off Kevin Sinclair – the offspinner was one of the West Indies’ best bowlers, finishing up with 2-23 in his four overs – the momentum began to slow although skipper Temba Bavuma tried manfully to maintain the quick pace.

FEELING THE PRESSURE

Hendricks, who batted beautifully up front, was the next to go, trapped leg before to provide Sinclair with his second wicket.

And when David Miller – promoted to No 4 – holed out in the outfield, the South Africans were feeling the pressure.

The tourists duly lost three wickets for 13 runs as Rassie van der Dussen (2), Bavuma (46 in 33 balls) and George Linde all fell to full deliveries from Andre Russell, Jason Holder and Obed McCoy respectively.

McCoy finished up as the most successful bowler for the West Indies, taking 3-25 and conceding only three runs off the final over.

Summing up, Proteas’ skipper Bavuma praised the contribution of the spinners and said: “The guys knew they had to be brave and execute our plans and I think we did that. From a batting point of view we started well but we still need to improve during the middle overs. I think our total was about par.”

The two teams meet for the third T20I at the same ground on Tuesday starting at 8pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

WEST INDIES: Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kieron Pollard (capt), Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Fabian Allen, Obed McCoy, Kevin Sinclair

SOUTH AFRICA: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi

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