Proteas fall short against Windies

Temba Bavuma’s fourth One-Day International century was all in vain as the Proteas featuring four debutants in the starting lineup went down by 48 runs to the West Indies in the second ODI in East London last night.

The South African captain scored 144, his third international century in this last seven innings, but ran out of partners in pursuit of a hefty target of 336, in front of a lively crowd at Buffalo Park. Bavuma’s opposite number, Shai Hope, leading the West Indies for the first time, had earlier made an unbeaten 125, an innings in which he found the perfect balance between anchoring and maintaining the necessary aggression against ill-disciplined South African bowling.

The loss won’t impact the Proteas’ chances of qualifying for the 50-over World Cup later this year, because the series with West Indies, the first match of which was rained out on Thursday, is not part of the ICC Super League competition, which determines the top eight automatic qualifiers for the tournament. Instead it’s the two matches against the Netherlands later this month that will determine the Proteas’ fate.

Bavuma admitted on Saturday that the Netherlands are very much on the minds of the Proteas. The two matches against the Dutch are the completion of a series that was supposed to be played in November 2021, but was interrupted after the rained out first match, when the series was abandoned because of the outbreak of the Omicron strain of the Covid-19 virus.

Theoretically the West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa are all challenging for that final automatic qualifying berth. However the West Indies can no longer add to their 88 points on the Super League log and must hope that the Sri Lankans on 77 and Proteas on 78 earn no points from their remaining matches. Ten points are earned with a win.

Sri Lanka face New Zealand in three ODIs from next Saturday, where a series sweep for the Sri Lankans will ensure they qualify for the World Cup. South Africa needs them to lose at least one match and then Bavuma’s side must beat the Dutch in the two ODIs that will be played at Willowmoore Park on March 28 and the Wanderers on April 2.

Cricket SA have shown the seriousness with which it regards the Dutch challenge by ensuring all the country’s stars — including those with IPL contracts — are available for the two matches.

Rob Walter, the Proteas’ new ODI coach will also have noted how the Netherlands put the squeeze on an off-colour South African team in Adelaide and close attention will have to be paid to Roelof van der Merwe, once of the Proteas parish, but who relished his role in their downfall last year. It was Van der Merwe’s superb diving catch to get rid of David Miller in that match that was one of the final nails in the Proteas’ coffin.

Van der Merwe, 38, played an influential role in turning around the fortunes of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape side, who went from the bottom of the log, to winning the inaugural SA20, with Van der Merwe, who’d missed the first few matches, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.