The Proteas produced considered one of their most pathetic batting performances in the Cricket World Cup semi-final in opposition to Australia, however David Miller stepped in to rescue South Africa from utter humiliation.
LIVE SCORING: Proteas v Australia CWC semi-final
INNINGS RECAP: South Africa’s battling line-up woes defined
After profitable the toss and opting to bat first, Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma and his opening associate skipped out onto the sphere to bat.
But it wasn’t lengthy earlier than their partnership was damaged, with Bavuma — who admitted earlier than the sport that he’s not totally match — falling for a four-ball duck.
And when Quinton de Kock tried to tackle Hazlewood in the sixth over, he ended up ballooning a catch in direction of the mid-on area. Pat Cummins held on to a superb take.
The Proteas had been additionally challenged by some nice fielding from Australia, particularly veteran David Warner, who wasn’t shy of throwing himself across the discipline. A giant activity lay forward for Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram.
However, Starc and Cummins proved to be too good in these conditions. Markram was dismissed whereas attempting to pierce by means of the purpose, whereas Van der Dussen fell in the very subsequent over when he edged one to the second slip. South Africa had been 4 down earlier than rain arrived to halt play.
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After resumption, attacking play from Miller lifted the Proteas’ effort. Plenty of fours and sixes flew from his willow, even because the South Africa fee picked up. He bought good assist from Heinrich Klaasen, who hit a few lusty blows in opposition to Adam Zampa to get going. Proteas appeared to be build up in direction of a combating complete earlier than Travis Head turned the sport round along with his part-time spin.
The tweaker cleaned up Klaasen (47) after the batter missed one which got here in fully. Off the very subsequent ball, he had Marco Jansen trapped lbw for a duck.
South Africa’s probabilities of reaching a aggressive rating rested on Miller’s probabilities, and he delivered with a defiant century.
The quantity six and Gerald Coetzee placed on 53 runs earlier than Coetzee departed caught behind for 19, though replays urged that he would have survived had he reviewed the choice.
But Miller continued in model, citing his hundred with a six off the Australian skipper, just for the centurion to fall two balls later and miss out on the possibility of a late flurry with two-and-a-half overs of the innings remaining.
That left Kagiso Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi on the crease to attempt to accumulate as many runs as potential off the final couple of overs. Still, their contributions of 10 and one, respectively, solely lifted the Proteas to a paltry 212 runs all out.
DAVID MILLER: THE STAR OF THE PROTEAS’ NO-SHOW
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