World Cup 2023: Close but not enough for South Africa as they look to new generation

South Africa ran Australia close in the ODI World Cup semi-final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. Despite scoring just 212 runs, a far cry from their otherwise first-class show with the bat during the tournament, Australia ran home with 3-wickets in hand and 16 balls left. South Africa can take heart from the fight but, unfortunately, that’s all that they can muster after poor starts with bat and ball. World Cup 2023: News | Schedule | Results | Points table South Africa won the toss and decided to bat. They were unable to capitalise and shifted to 24/4 in less than 12 overs to virtually hand the game to Australia. Later, when trying to defend just 212 runs, they let the Aussies race off to 74/2 in 10 overs. The fight in the middle overs, led significantly by the spinners, was far too little and too late. “Looking at the result, I think the way we started with the bat and the ball was probably the turning point. We lost it quite badly there and we always had to play catch-up to get ourselves back into the game," said skipper Temba Bavuma later.

When asked what made the difference, Bavuma said, “The conditions, combined with the quality of the attack. I thought (Josh) Hazlewood as well as (Mitchell) Starc upfront were ruthless. They exploited every bit of advantage that was presented to them with the conditions and they really put us under pressure. When you’re 4 for 24, you’re always going to struggle to get a competitive total.” And struggle they did. One could say the decision to bat in overcast conditions, after a light drizzle, hurt their chances almost immediately. “To be honest, even the commentators that I’ve spoken to, no one could predict the pitch would play like that for the first 12 overs,” said Proteas’ coach Rob Walter in the post-match press conference. “And had it played as we expected it to, then we would have backed ourselves to get 270. And once we got 270, because it was turning — you saw how much it spun in the evening — we knew that that was going to be our end into the game. And ultimately it was really, so we just didn’t have enough runs to work with so… Had those first ten overs looked a little bit different — it’s easy to say at the back end of losing — but I think the contest would have been a touch closer than it already was,” he added. World Cup: David Warner joins elite list and more stats South Africa had further chances to swing the game their way. Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj dismissed Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell during a spell of remarkable spin bowling. Before that, though, Reeza Hendricks had dropped Head and Quinton de Kock nearly clutched a tough chance to send Steve Smith back. There were half-chances in the dying moments too: push from Mitchell Starc landed short of Aiden Markram and Pat Cummins’ chip to mid-wicket fell narrowly in front of David Miller. In the end, Australia booked a place into their eight World Cup final. Seeking their sixth World Cup title, they would go head-to-head with India on 19 November in Ahmedabad. For South Africa, though, it is time to pack their bags and look towards the unknown. Nine of the 15 members in the squad could be done with their ODI careers before the extravaganza rolls around at home in 2027.

💔#CWC23 #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/hAwKizlZk4

— ICC (@ICC) November 16, 2023

Rassie van der Dussen is 34, David Miller and Reeza Hendricks just couple of months younger. Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi are all 33. Heinrich Klaasen is 32, and Quinton de Kock and Lizaad Williams 30. De Kock, for his part, had already declared this would have been his last World Cup. This squad also includes Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen, who are 23 and played their first World Cup tournaments. Aiden Markram is 29, Kagiso Rabada 28, and Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo 27. “If you think about what we’ve created and experienced here together, World Cups are where you spend a lot of time together. They’re different to bilateral series, and I think if you ask everyone about their experiences I would hope that they say that this was a memorable one,” said Walter. “The more memorable those moments are, the tighter we are as a unit, the more excited guys get about their cricket. We’ve seen guys play unbelievable cricket and probably surprise a lot of people in this room and around the world. That is what fuels them to come back and be better.” “I’m excited. I think there’s huge scope for us to grow as a team and to play even better than we have. And the majority of the people who are going to be on their journey are still in that changing room.”

This current lot can at least say that it didn’t implode or go down in heartbreaking manner like the ones before it. This one earned its way into the World Cup semi-final with a swagger, discounting the defeat to Netherlands, and fought until the very end. Seven wins in nine league matches. Nine centuries by the batters — more than any other side in the competition. Runs flowed with utter ease as opposition bowling and fielders stood cluelessly — ask Sri Lanka. Coetzee took 20 wickets — most by any South Africa bowler at a World Cup. Maharaj leaped to top of the ODI bowling rankings during the tournaments. South Africa’s statistics from the tournament are mind-boggling and their performances have been entertaining. It was the case at the Eden Gardens as well. But, in the end, they were outdone by a team that was far better than them.