Johannesburg — While grateful for the good fortune that the rain provided for them in the first One-Day International, the Proteas are also determined to produce a much better display against the West Indies in the second match at the Wanderers on Monday.
South Africa got lucky last Friday with rain ending the first match just 14 balls shy of a result being achieved in the touring team’s favour. Meetings have been held, tactics discussed and improvement demanded. However, captain Sune Luus was also philosophical. “I don’t think we will let one ‘not so good’ performance define us as players, and as a team and what we want to do throughout the series and at the World Cup,” she said Sunday.
“With the rain and Duckworth Lewis it makes it tricky and difficult. It’s those sort of games that you learn from and you will get those sorts of games at the World Cup. Look, it was still good preparation, and everyone learned from it.”
Which is as it should be. New Zealand’s notoriously fickle weather will almost certainly mean the rain calculations will play a part at the World Cup and learning to cope with that is something that can’t be done at training. So, while South Africa were clearly the second best team on Friday, and struggled to deal with the rain’s impact, at least they now have a feel for it, and will hopefully understand better how to handle it on the much bigger and more demanding stage that is the World Cup.
The standard of their performance in the first ODI, was disappointing. “I felt we could have bowled better. We bowled both sides of the wicket and the batting just wasn’t good enough all around,” said Luus.
She added that they had dusted off the cobwebs last Friday, and thus expected a better performance on Monday. “Not that it is an excuse, but we haven’t played in four months, so it’s always tricky to come back in that first game. With the rust and ‘the December’ gone now, we can look forward to Monday’s game.”
South Africa remain keen to test combinations ahead of the World Cup, so there could be changes to the playing personnel with Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch and Raisibe Ntozakhe among those who could get a run.
But whoever plays, there needs to be an overall improvement in quality because the West Indies showed last week through Deandra Dottin, who made 150 not out and the fast bowlers Shamila Connel and Shakera Selman, that they meant business.
“Our attitude can improve and our execution can be better. The plans were there and it is something we can fix easily in the next ODI. A lot of discussions were had, more plans were made but we have to stick to our lines and lengths and not worry too much about what their batters do. I’m sure it will go a lot better,” said Luus.
Monday’s match starts at 10am.
Squads:
South Africa: Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus (capt), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Tumi Sekhukhune, Andrie Steyn, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt
West Indies: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Anisa Mohammed (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Rashada Williams
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