The Proteas will be going to bed today with a huge sigh of relief, following a taxing and dramatic end to the game, when they needed not one, but two super overs to edge Afghanistan in their T20 World Cup Group D showdown on Wednesday.
South Africa won in the second super over after the gutsy Afghans’ 19 runs were not enough to beat the 23-run target set for them.
“Just anxiety. I think we’re standing there, all of us sitting there upstairs. Fingers crossed, like, ‘come on, guys, come on, guys!’ Just more hope than anything. But yeah, it was an absolute whirlwind of a game.
Tough game, but team prevailed
“We were all in it, we rode the emotions, obviously, just like everyone else did. And it was pretty tough, I will say, but I am just glad that we got over the line.”
At some point in the game, the first super over was tied when Afghanistan took to the crease first and posted 17 runs, of which the Proteas matched, with Tristan Stubbs smashing a six with the last ball.
Feeling reeved-up and in the moment, Stubbs picked up from where he left off in the second super over to help score the runs that took South Africa over the line.
The South Africans had initially posted 187/6 in their 20 overs. But a lapse of concentration at the end of the game ensured that Afghanistan took the game to the super over as the game was initially tied.
Big lessons learnt
Rickelton did admit that how they ended the game was a wake-up call. And that they should improve some areas of their game.
“It gives us a proper wake-up call. These are things you can’t take for granted. Afghanistan is a serious cricket team. No one takes them lightly.
“But when you have opportunities to close a game, when you’ve got your foot on the throat, you can’t let any team back in. So, it’s a wake-up call in terms of keeping that edge and sharpness. When you get ahead, you’ve got to stay ahead.
“You’ve got to look after the small things because they can come back to bite you. It’s a good lesson for all of us, and there are a lot of areas we can improve,” he added.
The Proteas face New Zealand in the top-of-the-table clash on Saturday afternoon.
