A Slow & Steady South Africa

Well the third one day match between Australia and South Africa at Cape Town was just another example as to how a one day match is supposed to be played and not only that, but also how to win the same. Very rarely does one come across such cricket matches and more so in today's cricketing world. Either the matches are close encounters, with the team putting up a mammoth total and the other team giving up the chase in the beginning itself or, a team is on the rise since the first ball of the match, scrapping any guess work by the spectators who are watching the game.

It was a super cool play from the blades of Jacques Kallis and A B De Villiars who set up the tone for South Africa, by playing a rock solid innings for their team by ensuring that the team never lost wickets at regular intervals, like they were found doing in the first encounter, where the Proteas lost as many as 7 wickets between a score of 93 to 145. South Africa were found to crumble from 93/2 to a partly score of 145 all out in the first game, while chasing a stiff target of 287. But, this was not the way they played the third one day match.

It was the 114 run partnership between Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiars which set up the victory for the Proteas, and even though wickets fell for a partnership of just 30 or 40 that hardly made any difference for the South African team, for they were well set with a decent total in hand at the end of the day's play. Even Australia did the same, that is by putting up a decent partnership of 97 runs for the 6th wicket between Feguson and James Hopes. But, that came at an in appropriate time when it was a do or die position for Australia. Australia at one stage were found at 114/5.

When it came to the bowling of the Australian team, it was only Mitchell Johnson and none other.Had it not been for Johnson, one can imagine the plight of the Australian team. Probably, the South African total would have even crossed 300 I guess, had it not been for Mitchell Johnson. Anyway, ifs and buts would give a different result always. Now, I think South Africa indeed deserve to be the number one team in the world. Previously, it was that the Australian team has gone down in standards and not South Africa dominating. But, time and again, South Africans have proved this yet again after their victory in the 3rd one day.