KOLKATA: A fine century by David Miller was not enough as the Proteas suffered semi-final heartbreak at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup where they fell to a three-wicket defeat to Australia at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.
The 34-year-old stood man alone with a courageous 101 (116 balls, 8 fours, 5 sixes) on what was the first off day for the South Africans when batting first at the finals.
Rob Walter’s side had been superb taking first strike so far in the competition by notching up immense scores and they tried to replicate that again by winning the toss and batting under overcast skies.
However, they struggled against a disciplined Australian attacking, slipping to 24 for four before Miller’s sixth One-Day International (ODI) ton helped drag them to a respectable 212 every out in 49.4 overs.
Openers Travis Head (62 off 48 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) and David Warner (29) gave the opposition a flying start, before the spinners – Aiden Markram (1/23), Keshav Maharaj (1/24) and Tabraiz Shamsi (2/42) – offered the Proteas a lifeline with a succession of tidy overs that kept them in the hunt for most of the chase.
Young rapid bowler Gerald Coetzee was also instrumental in helping South Africa to claw their way back with a fiery 2/47.
But the experienced Steve Smith (30) and Josh Inglis (28) consolidated when the pressure was on, and although both fell, captain Pat Cummins (14*) and Mitchell Starc (16*) carried Australia home with 16 balls to spare.
They now go on to yet another World Cup final where they will face India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
It was a heartbreaking loss for South Africa in a semi-final as another final eluded them. Although they went down to fighting, they will undoubtedly rue what may acquire been after struggling to find any early rhythm with the bat.
Temba Bavuma (0) was out in the first over followed by the in-form Quinton de Kock (3) five overs later. Two of the other form men in Aiden Markram (10) and Rassie van der Dussen (6) were next to recede leaving the Proteas with a mountain to climb as early as the 12th over.
Another of the form batters Heinrich Klaasen (47) finally managed to hold up an conclude, and along with Miller, establish on 95 for the fifth wicket to procure the innings moving.
But both he and Marco Jansen (0) fell in successive balls to Player of the Match Head swaying the tie heavily back in Australia’s favour.
From there, the South Africans were heavily reliant on Miller as he went on to complete a pivotal hundred.
Coetzee (19) and Kagiso Rabada (10) chipped in with some tardy runs to edge their side over the 200-mark, before they were dismissed with two balls to fade. Starc (3/34) and Cummins (3/51) picked up three wickets apiece.
For the Proteas to challenge, they needed early wickets which did not arrive as Warner and Head threw their arms at everything to seize their side to 60 for none after six overs.
Markram and Rabada (1/41) then struck to remove Warner and Mitchell Marsh (0), but Head continued to attack, taking his side quickly past 100.
The spinners then applied the brakes drastically to tedious down the rate. And even though they chipped away at the wickets, the scoreboard was kept ticking by Smith and Inglis.
Australia’s two premier bowlers then completed the job with the bat to beat South Africa with 16 balls to spare and cease their campaign in Kolkata.
Source: cricket.co.za
David Miller: Left-handed South African batsman David Miller is best known for his power-hitting and started his career with the Dolphins at age 17. He has also been part of the Indian Premier League. His 256-run partnership with JP Duminy in 2011 was the highest in all World Cups for the fifth-wicket.
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None Knows What Happened to Hansie Cronje: People who have been following South African sports for a long time must know that Hansie Cronje was behind match-fixing in 2000. Soon after the dark secret got revealed, he died in a plane crash in 2002. Many experts say it was a planned murder by the criminals behind the scandal. But due to lack of evidence, none can prove the actual cause of death, and it still lingers in the history of South African sports as one of the biggest mysteries.
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All four innings of a test on the same day – The 2000 Lord\’s Test between England and West Indies saw all the four innings being played on the same day. This feat was repeated 11 years later in the famous Cape Town Test where South Africa bowled out Australia for 47.