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Captain Faf keeps his options open after win against Sri Lanka
With just today’s final Cricket World Cup warm-up game against the West Indies left before the real thing starts on Thursday, Proteas captain Faf du Plessis pronounced himself happy with how the first friendly against Sri Lanka went on Friday.
Du Plessis may not have liked the identity of the opponent, a side they have played – and thrashed – in three series over the past 18 months, in their first warm-up game at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales, but the 87-run win, after the Proteas had posted 338/7 batting first, would have encouraged a captain not inclined to read too much into a practice match on several fronts.
The most important of those would have been the glimpse of form finally shown by veteran opening batsman Hashim Amla, who scored 65 off 61 balls (nine fours) in the rubber.
After the match, Du Plessis said: “It was important for Hashim to get some time back in the middle after playing T20 cricket, where he had to hit his way back into scoring runs. It was beautiful to see him play the way he normally plays – quietly killing the bowling attack. It was pleasing to see him score some runs.”
A belligerent 88 off 69 balls (seven fours, four sixes) by Du Plessis was the highlight of the Proteas’ innings – which, he said, was deliberately risky to encourage the rest of the batting line-up to “play without fear” – with the unflappable Rassie van der Dussen putting in a typically unobtrusive 40, and all-rounders Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius and Chris Morris hitting lustily at the end.
As excited as Du Plessis would have been by his team posting more than 300 runs in their 50 overs, he would have been even happier after his bowlers dismissed Sri Lanka for only 251 in 42.3 overs.
The Proteas’ method of choice for winning this World Cup is blasting the opposition out, so it would have been satisfying for their leader for them to have dismissed Sri Lanka cheaply without Dale Steyn, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
With Steyn not playing, and Kagiso Rabada only bowling for the first time since straining his lower back in the IPL, Lungi Ngidi – in his first match from a side strain issue – took over the mantle as the destroyer-in-chief up front. The big fella took 2/12 in the six overs he bowled in a controlled and aggressive spell. Phehlukwayo finished off an all-round and man of the match performance by taking 4/36 off seven overs.
“I rate Lungi highly. He’s an exceptional fast bowler who always gets wickets for us, so I think he’s going to be one of our key bowlers in this tournament,” said Du Plessis.
Rabada went for 40 runs in his seven overs, bowling at typically good pace, and taking one wicket in the process.
But Du Plessis said the point was seeing him out there, building on his workload and intensity since his injury, especially given that Steyn seems unlikely to play against the West Indies today.
Should Steyn not play today, the selectors have to decide which of the all-rounders behind Phehlukwayo will replace him in the tournament opener against World Cup hosts England on Thursday.
Morris was a late inclusion into the squad as a replacement for the injured Anrich Nortje, meaning he was the designated reserve fast bowler who should slot in for Steyn.
But he undid his great batting cameo of 26 off 13 balls by bowling loosely for figures of 0/31 from four overs.
“Chris was a bit rusty,” said Du Plessis. “He hasn’t played much cricket in the IPL, so he needs to get over that rustiness as quickly as he can. But he’s got time, a week or so, to still work on his action and try and get better.
“Dale is progressing. If he doesn’t progress the way he wants, two all-rounders come into the equation. But if all our fast bowlers are fit, we’re looking at playing one all-rounder.”
It seems as if Pretorius will take Steyn’s spot if he is unfit come Thursday.
