South Africa welcomed England in an ODI series that promised so much, and it delivered for the home side. Three games came and went, with South Africa securing a 2-1 win over the ODI world champions, with this showing just how far South Africa have come.
With victory achieved in fine style, what did we learn about this South African side? Are they now genuine contenders on the ODI scene?
Temba Bavuma can deal with the pressure
The criticism of a captain is usually centred on them being able to ride the wave of victories and good performances but going missing when the pressure is on. Ultimately, being a captain is not ever easy, especially when it is with an improving side that is growing.
However, ODI captain Temba Bavuma has had to shoulder his fair share of tough results, but he is now reaping the rewards of being an intelligent captain in the field and playing his natural game with the bat.
Scores of 36, 109 and 35 showed his consistency, with his century in the second ODI a match winning one as South Africa chased down a daunting score of 343 to win. Importantly in the second match, Bavuma was able to take the pressure off those around him. Each South African batsman was able to come in and score runs, with David Miller (58 not out) and Marco Jansen (32 not out) able to smash the winning runs in the second ODI.
In the field, plans to different players were clear, and this made it very difficult for England’s batsmen to get themselves in and play their own game. Of course, the class of players like Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan ultimately showed as they notched centuries in the final ODI, but keeping them quiet at key times in each match was vital.
Bavuma should be incredibly proud of the way he led his South African side across the series. They played each game targeting the win, but they did not ever compromise how they wanted to play. Ultimately, the best captains don’t get in the way of their players, they simply give them the license and space to play the way they need to.
South Africa can compete at the World Cup
South Africa’s path to the World Cup in India in 2023 does not seem straightforward right now, but if they can make it to the tournament, then they have every chance of lifting the trophy.
At the time of writing, South Africa sit in ninth in the World Cup Super League standings with 78 points, with a point taken off for slow over rate. The top eight sides gain automatic qualification to the World Cup, meaning they need to ensure they pick up as many points as possible form their remaining matches.
If South Africa are to make it to the World Cup, then they showed enough against England to worry the rest of the world. They boast a glut of impressive pace bowling options, while Keshav Maharaj is a decent option when the ball is spinning.
With bat in hand, South Africa boast a number of impressive talents that can both build a score and smash the ball around the stadium. The experience of the likes of Quinton de Kock in the IPL will be huge for a World Cup in India.
Perhaps most important is the fact that South Africa would go into the tournament as underdogs with generous odds being placed on them to lift the trophy. The likes of England, India and Australia will all have a lot of weight on their shoulders in each game, and this can take a toll on the players and teams.
For South Africa, they would arrive knowing that they are not among the favourites, meaning they can go out and play their natural game. Whether this would change if they picked up a few wins remains to be seen, but an ability to play with little expectation can often see a team play their best cricket.
There is room for improvement
While South Africa did win the series 2-1, there are still areas they can improve on. Leading 2-0 in the series, teams like India, England and Australia would target a 3-0 win. South Africa failed in convincing style as England hammered them by 59 runs in the final match. South Africa need to learn how to be ruthless.
One worry for South Africa is the fact England managed scores of 300+ in two of the three matches. While the visiting side is crammed with explosive batting talent, there were times were the pitch did not look like a 300 runs plus surface. If South Africa force themselves to have to score 300 runs or more in each World Cup game, they will come unstuck at some point.
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