Too much Hope for rookie Proteas outfit

Even Shai Hope felt Temba Bavuma’s career-best 144 in the second ODI on Saturday deserved being a match-winning effort. 

It wasn’t because of Hope himself. The West Indies captain’s 125 not out, which helped to propel his team to 335/6, proved the defining innings of an exciting encounter in East London.

“I must give [Bavuma] credit for the way he controlled the innings. He played the situation well and he really deserved to win the game but there can only be one winner,” said Hope, who was leading the West Indies for the first time. 

Hope’s was a superbly crafted innings, which initially required him to steady the ship after the tourists lost three wickets in 10 balls, then patience through the middle period on a tricky Buffalo Park pitch, before he hit out in the final three overs, when the West Indies scored 40 runs.

“It was a bit slow and when they bowled the ball into the pitch, it was difficult to stroke the ball,” said Hope. 

Only occasionally did he and Bavuma make it look like that. Both took the opportunities offered by loose bowling, but they also created many scoring chances with both of them hitting seven sixes.

It was Bavuma’s third century in his last seven international innings, which now includes career-best performances in Tests and ODIs.

“I’m hitting the ball quite nicely at the moment, managing to find gaps, which is a big thing for me as a stroke player,” the Proteas captain said.

“It’s a confidence thing. I’m trying to carry on the momentum from the form I got in the England series. I can only hope everything continues as it is.”

The difference at the weekend was the West Indies being able to forge crucial partnerships. Hope shared a fourth-wicket stand of 86 with his predecessor as captain Nicholas Pooran and a partnership of 80 for the fifth wicket with Rovman Powell. 

After Bavuma’s 76-run opening partnership with Quinton de Kock, the next-highest stand was for the third wicket with one of the four debutants, Tony de Zorzi, which was worth 61 runs.

Though SA were always set to give players opportunities in this series, Bavuma implied they weren’t expecting four debutants in the same starting XI.

“It’s rare to see four debutants given a go at the same time. Our hand was forced by illnesses and injuries. I think it was a valuable experience for those young guys.”

Gerald Coetzee, still on a high from his performances in the Test series, was arguably the best of the bowlers taking 3/57 and adapting better to conditions than the Proteas’ other two seamers, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen. 

Though De Zorzi showed encouraging signs during his innings of 27, he, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs will rue costly errors at critical times during the run chase.

“What I saw from the young guys was they tried to assess the conditions and formulate game plans, which is what batting is about and it’s what they know to do,” Bavuma said. “They probably didn’t do it for long enough. The intent we speak about within the team, I felt that was definitely there.”

Both teams head up to Potchefstroom for Tuesday’s final match in the series, with SA’s squad bolstered by the return of Aiden Markram, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen. 

Proteas squad for third ODI: Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Rassie van der Dussen