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  • Writer's pictureMichael Oakley

Enough is sometimes, simply, enough

113 Was always enough, of course it was ...

Why was everyone stressing?

Man, that was close and probably should have gone the other way but, in the end, South Africa managed to beat Bangladesh by four runs in New York on Monday and head to the West Indies unbeaten in Group D.

It was a tale of two 20th overs for Keshav Maharaj that decided the game in the end.

While he was out there batting, he was swinging wildly like he was auditioning for the New York Yankees and missing the ball while when it was his time to bowl he held his nerve to secure the win in the final over.

Defending 11, he kept the Tigers to six while taking two vital wickets as the bowlers once again saved the day for South Africa.

A batting lineup of Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Marco Jansen should not be giving their fans grey hairs but that is what they have done in all three games in New York.

Hendricks got a first baller, De Kock blasted a few before a wild swipe cost him his wicket (18 off 11) skipper Markram scored four off eight, Stubbs got a goose egg off five balls after one stuck in the pitch and all he could do was scoop it to cover.

Saying the top order has struggled it like saying the pitch in New York is a little suspect ...

Player-of-the-Match Klaasen showed his class and power to make 46 off 44 and he as Miller had to rescue the Proteas after Markram had won the toss and decided to bat first.

Miller (29 from 38) would have hoped for a relaxing birthday but instead had to dig his country out of the mire once again, as he did against the Netherlands.

Jansen scored five from five while Maharaj ended on four off eight as the Proteas made 113/6.

South Africa were looking for 130 on this pitch, hoping for more but happy with a little less and less is what they got after a terrible final five overs with the bat.

They only managed 29 runs in those overs when the accelerator needed to be pushed down hard.

Credit where it's due, the Tigers bowled exceptionally during that period, throughout the whole innings to be fair, but the wild hacks looked more like shots out of Farmer's Weekly than international cricket.

The SA bowlers got to work and knowing that they were defending a small total they raced in, hitting the pitch hard and used their extra pace and bounce to blast the Bangladesh batters out.

Anrich Nortje was at his fiery best once again and finished with 2/17 in his four overs.

Ottneil Baartman again proved that he belongs at this level with great control at the end of the innings and was unlucky to go wicketless (0/27).

Maharaj (3/27) did what he needed to do, as did Jansen (0/17) and Kagiso Rabada led from the front with 2/19.

They kept the men in green under constant pressure, making sure that they had to work for every run and managed to quiet down the massive support they enjoyed from the crowd, vital when defending a small target.

In the end 113 was enough because it secured a victory with Bangladesh finishing on 109/7.

But seriously, enough is enough, this stress is a killer.


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