Allrounder George Linde felt he owed South Africa a little extra on Tuesday. He missed the team bus going to Kingsmead for the Twenty20 against Pakistan and needed a police escort to catch up. “It was a little embarrassing,” George Linde said. “I felt like I had to deliver for the team today and glad I did.” George Linde delivered career-best T20 performances with bat and ball by whacking a 24-ball 48 and taking 4-21 to lead the Proteas to a thrilling 11-run win.
Just a day after sealing the Test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa fielded a completely different XI to overcome Pakistan in Durban in the opening T20I. David Miller’s 40-ball 82 that saw him smash 8 sixes and George Linde’s all-round efforts – 48 with the bat followed by a four-wicket haul – were instrumental in South Africa’s tight 11-run win. From a Pakistan perspective, the result could have turned out to be different had skipper Mohammad Rizwan not left it too late in the run chase.
A power-packed innings by David Miller and a career-best all-round performance by George Linde took South Africa to an 11-run win in the first T20I century against Pakistan at Kingsmead on Friday. Miller slammed 82 off 40 balls with four fours and eight sixes and Linde hit a rapid 48 in a South African total of 183 for nine. Left-arm spinner Linde followed up by taking four for 21.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch report: “Pleasant evening, still humid and a stiff breeze coming down. It will humid but not as hot as we’ve had over the last few days. 66m and 60m square boundaries, 79m down the ground. It looks like a peach of a surface, lot of grass but it’s not green. It’s brown. It won’t be nipping around, it’ll come on to the bat nicely and there will be nice carry. Decision to bat first makes sense, it might nip around a bit later under lights” says Shaun Pollock.
Toss : South Africa skipper Heinrich Klassen have won the toss and have opted to bat with few newer guys in the playing XI. Pakistan’s skipper Mohammad Rizwan bowling first also gave chances to youngsters in the playing XI.
David Miller’s blistering 82 and George Linde’s quickfire 48 runs powers SA to 183 for 9 after 20 overs
Earlier in the evening, a see-saw innings from South Africa saw them put up 183/9 on the board. Shaheen Afridi made an eventful start to the game by getting rid of Rassie van der Dussen for a golden duck before finding the outside edge of Matthew Breetzke that just fell short. Two balls later, Breetzke smashed a six off Abrar Ahmed before hitting one straight to backward point off the very next delivery.
Despite the two early setbacks, Miller made quite a start to his innings by picking apart Shaheen for back-to-back boundaries. However, Pakistan were completely on top in that powerplay with Abrar adding to his wicket tally. This time, it was Reeza Hendricks who failed to read a googly and ended up seeing his stumps rearranged.
Desperately in need of a partnership, Miller and Heinrich Klaasen joined forces together with the former looking in excellent touch. Miller went on a six-hitting spree as he cleared the ropes thrice in the space of six deliveries to boost the run rate. But every time South Africa looked dangerous, Pakistan managed to strike back and this time, it was the big wicket of Klaasen as Abbas Afridi opened his account. That still didn’t deter Miller though as he put on a spectacle by smashing a hat-trick of sixes off Abrar in the very next over to breeze past his fifty.
David Miller has made a reputation for being a middle- and late-overs bludgeoner. But after Shaheen and Abrar struck early, Miller came in at No. 4 in an inexperienced side. And for the next hour or so, he demonstrated how his timing and technique were every bit equal to his power. Taking advantage of beginning his innings in the powerplay, he whipped Shaheen off the pads to get going, before punching him through the covers for another boundary.
The quality of his timing was on full display against Sufiyan Muqeem just after the powerplay. The left-arm wrist spinner tried to stay out of his arc by bowling wide of off and spinning it away, but Miller’s extension of the arms and strength at the end of his range lay waste to that tactic. He creamed him over the extra-cover boundary, where the fielder could only watch it sail over his head. Muqeem tried it once more two balls later, only to have the same treatment meted out to him with – if it was possible – even less effort.
Miller had just got started, and was brutal against spin, slapping Abrar for three straight sixes in the tenth over. He cut across the innings like a scythe for Pakistan; between the time he came on and when Shaheen finally had him hole out, he added 82 of South Africa’s 125.
The assault continued as Miller looked in ominous touch, picking apart every single bowler to race to 80 off just 37. Amidst this, he lost Donovan Ferreira at the other end but found an able partner in George Linde.
At the end of the 13th over, South Africa already had 131 on the board. But with five batters already in the pavilion, there was always an element of risk heading into the slog overs. And those fears surfaced when Shaheen managed to get rid of Miller for 82 in the following over. Abrar and Shaheen then added one more wicket each in the next two overs to reduce South Africa to 141/8 with four overs remaining.
At that point in time, the hosts were in real danger of failing to bat out their overs, let alone post a fighting total. However, George Linde and Maphaka sprung a surprise in the slog overs with a flurry of boundaries. George Linde in particular managed to clear the ropes thrice in the final over to give South Africa complete momentum once again before scripting that turnaround with the ball as well.
George Linde’s career best 4-21 overshadows Mohammad Rizwan’s resistance as SA wins by 11 runs to go up 1-0 .
Pakistan’s powerplay in the chase was a tale of two halves. Babar Azam opened the batting alongside Rizwan but was sent packing by young Kwena Maphaka for a four-ball duck. But from 19/1 after 3.3 overs, the visitors raced to 55/1 by the end of the powerplay following a stunning assault from Saim Ayub. In that little period, Ayub managed to find the boundary seven times to move to 31 off just 13. Unfortunately for Pakistan, he couldn’t keep going and was dismissed in the first over after the powerplay.
The obituary of the Mohammad Rizwan-Babar Azam opening has been written far too many times to attempt another one. It seemed Pakistan’s days of opening with their two trusty anchors were finally done, but in a steep chase, it was those two who walked out while Saim Ayub sat in the dugout. Both looked rusty and well off the pace required. Babar could have fallen to Maphaka first ball, and ultimately did off the fourth without scoring.
Ayub came in and demonstrated why he is so potent in the first six, his full repertoire of power, panache and audacity on display as he blitzed through the remaining powerplay, striking seven boundaries in his first 13 balls to race to 31.
He is less effective when the field spreads out, and holed out to sweeper cover off the second ball he faced post-powerplay. He had got Pakistan off to a flyer, though, and left one wondering how much he could have added had he been around from the very start. At the death, it became apparent how every run would have mattered.
Saim Ayub gave Pakistan a flying start despite the loss of Babar Azam for a duck early on, but South Africa reined them in through the middle overs. Rizwan struggled to get going and Pakistan’s inexperienced middle order couldn’t keep the asking rate in check from the other end. It allowed South Africa to get tidy overs in through the middle while picking up regular wickets, and all of a sudden Pakistan were running out of batters and overs.
Pakistan were dented further before the halfway mark as Usman Khan failed to make the most of his reprieve and mistimed one to get caught. But for most part of it, the story of the chase was Rizwan’s scratchy innings.
The Pakistan captain struggled to bat with freedom, batting on 24 off 32 balls at one point. That strike rate went past 100 only in the 17th over when he hit two sixes off Maphaka to bring up his half-century. While he could have still made amends, a three-wicket over from George Linde derailed Pakistan just when they were building momentum.
But Maphaka, who returned for the 20th over, had Rizwan top-edging a slower ball, and the game was over as a contest. Pakistan had paid for their generosity with the ball at the death, and tardiness with the bat early on. South Africa were clinical enough to take full advantage.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Heinrich Klassen SA winning skipper said : I wouldn’t say it was a great performance but a couple of guys stepped up. There are small margins in cricket, pleased we didn’t bomb up after losing wickets early. Those three youngsters Peter, Maphaka and Simelane.. along with Georgy (Linde) had a great game. He (Miller) had a fantastic game. He has been working really hard and may it continue for long. Looking forward to all five games.
Mohammad Rizwan Pakistan losing skipper said : Lot of positives. The innings from Miller and Linde took the momentum away from us. The counterattack from Miller took the momentum as we had started well by picking early wickets. The spinners bowled very well, they used the pitch and conditions well. There are a lot of positives and hopefully we do well in the next match.
George Linde Player of the Match for his all round show said : Almost a perfect comeback game apart from the hat-trick ball. I have played quite a lot of cricket, have had a pretty good season so far, tried to keep calm and ask myself what the team needs.
When he gave it out I was surprised but told the boys it was going down leg (hat-trick ball). I felt calm today for some reason. I missed the bus while coming to the ground, I thought I had to deliver and glad I did. The police escorted me to the ground.
Rizwan might have scored 74 but that was an ordinary innings from the Pakistan captain. He got stuck at one end and struggled to get going – he went at less than a run-a-ball until he reached his fifty and only caught towards the end. His knock put pressure on the others as they had to find the boundary and they perished while doing so.
Rizwan did keep Pakistan alive when he got 24 runs off the 17th over but a triple wicket over from Linde killed the contest for the visitors. Early on, David Miller put on a show as he smashed a 40-ball 82 and George Linde, who finished with 4/21 with the ball, also had a say with the bat as his 24-ball 48 is what took South Africa past the 180-mark.
Having not played for South Africa for three years, George Linde made up for lost time on one electric Kingsmead evening with a stunning all-round performance. A 24-ball 48 with the bat and 4-21 with the ball battered a valiant Pakistan, who went down by 11 runs.
The umpire even thought he had a hat-trick in the penultimate over before a review denied him that glory but not his undisputed Player-of-the-Match award. Mohammad Rizwan, who faced the first ball, was there in the final over as his team went down fighting, a late attack from the captain not quite enough to undo the damage of a sluggish first half of an innings where he managed just 36 in his first 44 deliveries, even if he did finish with 74 off 62.
South Africa came into the first T20I in Durban with a decidedly second-string side, but it doesn’t matter when David Miller is in the form he found today.
A majestic 40-ball 82 ran through the first innings like a dagger for Pakistan, who believed they had made early progress when Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abrar Ahmed removed Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke early. But Miller ensured the runs kept flowing, and Pakistan’s spinners couldn’t have the impact they hoped for on a true, flat Durban pitch Heinrich Klaasen had little hesitation in opting to bat first on.
Saim Ayub gave Pakistan a flying start despite the loss of Babar Azam for a duck early on, but South Africa reined them in through the middle overs. Rizwan struggled to get going and Pakistan’s inexperienced middle order couldn’t keep the asking rate in check from the other end. It allowed South Africa to get tidy overs in through the middle while picking up regular wickets, and all of a sudden Pakistan were running out of batters and overs.
An errant 17th over from the otherwise impressive 18-year-old Kwena Maphaka allowed Pakistan 24 runs, and they suddenly found themselves back in the game.
Rizwan was flying by then, smashing two sixes off Maphaka and three fours off Ottniel Baartman, and Pakistan had suddenly dragged themselves back in, needing 19 off the final over. But Maphaka, who returned for the 20th over, had Rizwan top-edging a slower ball, and the game was over as a contest. Pakistan had paid for their generosity with the ball at the death, and tardiness with the bat early on. South Africa were clinical enough to take full advantage.
Pakistan have this habit of losing the first game of the series. They lost the first game in the Australia and Zimbabwe ODIs before coming back strongly to clinch the series. They will have to do something similar here if they are to win the series.