Whisper it in one corner of Johannesburg. Hear it in the air around Cape Town. No one dare mention it or speak of it. And yet it looms large. It is another addition to that nightmarish list. 22 off 1 ball in 1992. Allan Donald, among the greatest fast bowlers of his time, failing to run in 1999. Pollock’s brain freeze in 2003. De Villiers’ run of doom in 2011. And finally, now we add...the curse of the catch in 2015.
South Africa, you brave team. South Africa, who battled on, never ever taking the feet off the accelerator. South Africa who recovered from each of their setbacks, never making it easy for New Zealand. South Africa, who should have won the match, but yet fell to the ground after the last ball, stunned, tearful, unsure of how much more they would have to do if they ever wanted to reach a final.
Things fall apart
Unlike the other instances in South Africa’s chequered history of knockout games, this one does not have that one specific moment when everything fell apart. It has several.
De Villiers, the De Villiers, captain confident, fielder par excellence, magnificence personified, fresh after a captain’s knock of 65 off 45 balls, failing to effect a run-out he could have done in his sleep. De Kock, the keeper whom South Africa have continued to back despite mounting criticism, failing to effect another run out, just when his team was at its most desperate. And finally, Duminy and Behardien, both steeling themselves under the Auckland night air, waiting for that elusive ball to land in their hands, both forgetting the basic fundamental of fielding in cricket: call for your catch.
It will hurt South Africa. They are among the best fielding sides in the world. Nor was their fielding bad today. They dragged themselves around, stopping runs wherever they could. Yet, it is those key moments which can make or decide victory. And South Africa, once the heartbreak subsides, will look at these key moments. They will wonder; why do they forget the very fundamentals of the game they love when they are under such stifling pressure?
Raining on the parade
They must also wonder why the rain gods seem to have a special partiality towards them, especially during key matches in a World Cup. Thrice now, rain has affected critical games they have played in. 1992 was an aberration, a freak coincidence. But, 2003 was not. And, nor, sadly, is 2015.
An argument can be made that rain again robbed South Africa. At 216 for 3 with du Plessis and Villiers looking very good, it can be argued, quite strongly, that South Africa were eyeing 350, especially considering their record of scoring big in the last 15 overs. De Villiers may have even got to a century; Miller may have had more time to unleash a carnage.
But should not have South Africa kept an eye on the weather? The weather forecast is not a closely guarded secret; everyone knew rain was likely to make an appearance. It was quite overcast throughout the match. Should not De Villiers and du Plessis have accelerated a bit more when the possibility of rain hung in the air? After the break, should De Villiers have not tried to gain more strike?
And still the questions come
These are tantalising questions. There are no easy answers. After every World Cup campaign, South Africa seem to add more questions to this ever-growing list. The answers are not forthcoming; the weight of the burden continues to increase. Every brave South African team which arrives at the World Cup has to shoulder the burden of these questions. They all confidently proclaim they have the answers. And at the moment of reckoning, everything unravels. The door is wrenched open – and the cupboard is glaringly empty.
South Africa played a great game and had a good World Cup. This is not an elimination they deserved – their players sprawled on the field, crying their hearts out. Time is supposed to heal raw wounds, but this time, time will deliver an even more painful message: yet again, at their most critical juncture, South Africa choked.
South Africa, you brave team. South Africa, who battled on, never ever taking the feet off the accelerator. South Africa who recovered from each of their setbacks, never making it easy for New Zealand. South Africa, who should have won the match, but yet fell to the ground after the last ball, stunned, tearful, unsure of how much more they would have to do if they ever wanted to reach a final.
Things fall apart
Unlike the other instances in South Africa’s chequered history of knockout games, this one does not have that one specific moment when everything fell apart. It has several.
De Villiers, the De Villiers, captain confident, fielder par excellence, magnificence personified, fresh after a captain’s knock of 65 off 45 balls, failing to effect a run-out he could have done in his sleep. De Kock, the keeper whom South Africa have continued to back despite mounting criticism, failing to effect another run out, just when his team was at its most desperate. And finally, Duminy and Behardien, both steeling themselves under the Auckland night air, waiting for that elusive ball to land in their hands, both forgetting the basic fundamental of fielding in cricket: call for your catch.
It will hurt South Africa. They are among the best fielding sides in the world. Nor was their fielding bad today. They dragged themselves around, stopping runs wherever they could. Yet, it is those key moments which can make or decide victory. And South Africa, once the heartbreak subsides, will look at these key moments. They will wonder; why do they forget the very fundamentals of the game they love when they are under such stifling pressure?
Raining on the parade
They must also wonder why the rain gods seem to have a special partiality towards them, especially during key matches in a World Cup. Thrice now, rain has affected critical games they have played in. 1992 was an aberration, a freak coincidence. But, 2003 was not. And, nor, sadly, is 2015.
An argument can be made that rain again robbed South Africa. At 216 for 3 with du Plessis and Villiers looking very good, it can be argued, quite strongly, that South Africa were eyeing 350, especially considering their record of scoring big in the last 15 overs. De Villiers may have even got to a century; Miller may have had more time to unleash a carnage.
But should not have South Africa kept an eye on the weather? The weather forecast is not a closely guarded secret; everyone knew rain was likely to make an appearance. It was quite overcast throughout the match. Should not De Villiers and du Plessis have accelerated a bit more when the possibility of rain hung in the air? After the break, should De Villiers have not tried to gain more strike?
And still the questions come
These are tantalising questions. There are no easy answers. After every World Cup campaign, South Africa seem to add more questions to this ever-growing list. The answers are not forthcoming; the weight of the burden continues to increase. Every brave South African team which arrives at the World Cup has to shoulder the burden of these questions. They all confidently proclaim they have the answers. And at the moment of reckoning, everything unravels. The door is wrenched open – and the cupboard is glaringly empty.
South Africa played a great game and had a good World Cup. This is not an elimination they deserved – their players sprawled on the field, crying their hearts out. Time is supposed to heal raw wounds, but this time, time will deliver an even more painful message: yet again, at their most critical juncture, South Africa choked.
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