After the Proteas’ dominant 83-run win in Potchefstroom, completing a 2-0 series whitewash, Khalid Mohidin rates their performances.
DAVID MILLER – 126 runs @ – , HS: 101*, SR: 229.09
9/10
Voted Man of the Series, Miller smashed the fastest century in T20Is to help South Africa claim an 83-run victory. Miller was on 42 off 21 balls after the fall of Hashim Amla in the 17th over and he hit 58 runs off 15 balls to reach his first T20I ton in 35 balls. He achieved the feat 10 balls faster than Richard Levi, who smashed the previous fastest ton against New Zealand off 45 balls in 2012. Miller bludgeoned seven fours and nine sixes, five of those maximums coming in the 19th over, off Mohammad Saifuddin. The 27-year-old showed his versatility over the two matches. In the first T20, after the platform was set, he played a supporting role to Farhaan Behardien, only hitting one four for his 25 to help South Africa add 61 runs after the fall of Quinton de Kock. This helped hosts post a winning total of 195-4, which saw them seal a 20-run victory.
HASHIM AMLA – 88 runs @ 44.00, HS: 85, SR: 160.00
8/10
Amla was outstanding in the second T20, leading from the front. After being bowled in the first T20 for three, Amla responded in style. A 51-ball 85 saw him keep South Africa in the game, despite the fall of Mangaliso Mosehle (5), JP Duminy (4) and AB de Villiers (20). Amla scored all around the ground, showing off a full arsenal which included an improvised ramp shot among his signature cover drive and scintillating cuts. He finished with 11 fours and a massive pull-shot for his six, as he helped the Proteas post 157 before the fall of his wicket. This completed a superb series for Amla, which saw him score two centuries in the Tests, one century and a half-century in the ODIs and a half-ton in the T20s.
QUINTON DE KOCK – 59 runs @ 59.00. HS: 59, SR: 134.09
7/10
The 24-year-old was rested in the second T20, but his half-century in the first saw him hit a 44-ball 59 (5×4, 1×6). He shared a 79-run partnership with an explosive De Villiers, after the fall of Amla early on. De Kock was the Proteas’ anchor, he was the fourth and last wicket to fall with SA on 133, before Behardien and Miller’s partnership took them to 195.
AB DE VILLIERS – 69 runs @ 34.50, HS: 49, SR: 164.28
6/10
It was an OK T20 series for South Africa’s superstar on wickets conducive for batting – a Man of the Match 27-ball 49 in the first match and 20 off 15 balls in the second, was under par for an in-form De Villiers who should have obliterated the Tigers. He expressed his disappointment after the first T20 at the post-match presentation saying he was hoping for ‘something like 70-plus’. In the second T20, he failed to entertain the Potchefstroom crowed despite showing intent early on, when he danced down the ground and smashed the ball out the park for his only maximum. The 33-year-old lost his wicket to identical shots in both matches, seeking a maximum only to find the fielder at long-off.
JP DUMINY – 14 runs @ 8.50, HS: 13, SR: 94.44, 2 wickets @ 19.00, BBI: 2-23, Econ: 7.60
4/10
The interim T20 captain had another terrible performance with the bat, scoring 13 and four in his the first and second T20s respectively. He made up for his batting blunders with the ball in Potchefstroom, showing initiative after his opening bowler went for 17 off the first over. After Miller killed the Bangladeshi momentum with a run-out off Duminy’s bowling, he removed the Tigers’ star batsmen, bowling Shakib Al Hasan in his second over and Sabbir Rahman in his third. His performance was critical to throttling the Bangladesh innings, but shouldn’t be enough to keep him in the Proteas set-up.
FARHAAN BEHARDIEN – 42 runs @ -, HS: 36*, SR: 190.90
5/10
The 34-year-old batted at No 6 and did what was expected of him. His 17-ball 36 was pivotal in bumping SA out of reach, capitalising on the platform set by De Villiers and De Kock. He helped the hosts post a 196-run target, hitting two fours and two sixes, to take the Proteas from 133-4 to 195-4.
ANDILE PHEHLUKWAYO – 3 wickets @ 15.33, BBI: 2-25, Econ: 6.57
5/10
The all-rounder did not get a chance to bat, but was consistent with the ball picking up two wickets in the first T20 and one in the second. The 21-year-old was effective at squeezing the opposition batsmen in the middle overs and has shown that he has the attributes to make the No 8 role his own in the shorter formats.
ROBBIE FRYLINCK – 3 wickets @ 14.00, BBI 2-33, Econ: 7.00
5/10
Similarly to Phehlukwayo, Frylinck was decent. He picked up three wickets and helped keep the Tigers caged. Fans were excited to see the 33-year-old make his debut, but they never had the chance to see the big man unleash with the bat. If Ottis Gibson truly wanted to test his ability to see what he had to offer, they should have brought him in earlier, especially in the first T20 after the wicket of Duminy.
BEURAN HENDRICKS – 3 wickets @ 23.33, BBI 2-42, Econ: 10.76
4/10
In both matches, the left-arm speedster was expensive in his opening over but eased into the game. He went for 11 runs in his first over in Bloemfontein and 17 in his first over in Potchefstroom. Against better opposition, Hendricks’ inconsistency with his line and length would have proved costly.
AARON PHANGISO – 3 wickets @ 20.33, BBI: 2-31, Econ: 8.71
5/10
The spinner played a decent filler role in place of Imran Tahir, he took wickets at vital times but was a tad bit expensive – especially in the first T20 which saw him go for 10 runs an over. His second T20 was much better, he took out the only two batsmen who threatened the Proteas, removing Soumya Sarkar after a 27-ball 44 and Mahmudullah on 24 off 20 balls. This helped prevent the Tigers from crossing the 100-run mark.
DANE PATERSON – 2 wickets @ 14.50, BBI: 2-29, Econ: 7.25
6/10
Paterson only played in the first T20 and managed to show off his skill in death bowling. He picked up a brace in the 17th over, with Bangladesh needing 49 off 24 balls at the start of the over. This seemed enough to help rattle Bangladesh, as the visitors fell 20 runs short of the target.
DWAINE PRETORIUS: 1 wicket, @ 27.00, BBI: 1-27, Econ: 9.00
4/10
Not much to say about Pretorius, he played one match, went at nine an over and managed to take a scalp in a dominant performance by SA.
MANGALISO MOSEHLE: 5 runs @ 5.00 , HS: 5, SR: 100
3/10
Brought in at the top of the order in place of the rested De Kock, Mosehle hit a boundary and a single then went out. He was effective behind the wicket, however, ending with the most dismissals – two catches and one stumping.
Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
