It should have been trophy time

It all should have been so different. One box that must be ticked by both outfits when South Africa and Australia lock horns in any sporting encounter is intensity levels. History has told us all time and time again that any lapse in that crucial aspect will result in the negligent party coming second. That’s exactly what happened.

To score only 69 runs in the last fifteen overs of the grand final in Durban was disturbing. To score only 48 in the last ten overs was worse. To score only 23 in the last five was criminal. That was the game right there.

In any conditions on any cricketing continent it is considered a formality to score 100 runs in the last fifteen overs if the team has manoeuvered proceedings so that they can benefit from having wickets in hand. If anything, those targets are considered more achievable on southern soil. On Friday, as that crucial countdown began, South Africa were only three wickets down with 153 runs on the board and perfectly poised to strike. The resultant inactivity was puzzling.

Throw in the added factor of how advantageous the restructured batting power play can be if used astutely during that period and it all becomes more perplexing. They were well on track to nail 250 even though the surface was inconsistent, but inexplicably succumbed to some intelligent hand-brake stuff from the Australians. What did they expect? The lack of intent shown by those in possession was astounding and the outcome has now wedged some unnecessary doubt leading into the truncated test series.

This was the one that got away. South Africa should have been the group celebrating by belting out their recently acquired victory song behind closed doors.

To their dismay ‘Beneath the Southern Cross’ was reverberating through the corridors instead.