World Cup 2023: Temba Bavuma rues poor powerplays after South Africa suffer yet another semi-final heartbreak

South Africa suffered yet another heartbreak in a World Cup semi-final despite mounting a valiant fightback against Australia in Kolkata on Thursday, bowing out with a three-wicket defeat. World Cup 2023: News | Schedule | Results | Points table The Proteas failed to break their World Cup semi-final jinx for the fifth time in as many attempts since 1992 after getting bowled out for 212, with the Aussies chasing the target down with three wickets and 16 deliveries to spare to enter their eighth World Cup final in 13 editions. South Africa had fared poorly both with bat and ball during the first powerplay of both innings; they collected just 18 runs while losing  both openers after electing to bat at the Eden Gardens, and would later bleed 60 runs in the first six overs that gave the Australian batters the platform for the successful chase.

And Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma felt their poor performance in both powerplays played a key role in their narrow defeat. “Quite hard to put into word. Congrats to Australia, all the best for them in the final. They were outstanding for a large part of the game and thoroughly deserved victory. Our character came through. It was a dog fight. The way we started with the bat and the ball was probably the turning point, we lost it quite badly there,” Bavuma said during the post-match presentation. Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood made the most of overcast conditions in Kolkata after Bavuma elected to bat, destroying the South African top-order to leave them gasping for air at 24/4. What also helped the Aussies build pressure on the Proteas was their outstanding fielding, especially by David Warner in the cover arc. Read | India to face Australia in final on 19 November Had it not been for David Miller’s fighting century — his sixth in ODIs — as well a valuable 47 from Heinrich Klaasen, South Africa might have succumbed to their second sub-100 total in three outings. Bavuma, who was caught-behind for a duck off Starc’s bowling in the very first over of the innings, credited the Australian new-ball pair for their “ruthless” spells that triggered a top-order collapse. “Conditions and the quality of the attack. They were ruthless. Presented with the conditions but they really put us under pressure,” added Bavuma, who had earlier indicated he wasn’t a hundred per cent for the final.

A bitter sweet ending to a phenomenal tournament by the boys.

We are incredibly proud of the brilliant display of cricket since day 1 of the #CWC23. 🏏🇿🇦💚#CWC23 #SAvAus #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/HhsJfw98Yy

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 16, 2023

Australia had raced to 60 for no loss in reply thanks to flying starts from Travis Head and David Warner before the Proteas gradually started fighting back with a flurry of wickets. The South Africans were staring at the possibility of pulling off an unlikely victory at one point after Tabraiz Shamsi struck in successive overs to remove Marnus Labuschagne (18) and Glenn Maxwell (1). However, steady knocks from Steve Smith (30) and Josh Inglis (28) along with a number of dropped catches allowed the Aussies to fight back and eventually reach home with plenty of deliveries to spare. “Would have liked to have bowled better, it allowed the other batters to play themselves in. Shamsi was terrific, we were competitive but we needed a lot to go right. We had chances - tough chances - but we put them down. Could have been more proactive but you need things to go your way," Bavuma added. Gerald Coetzee would later dismiss both Smith and Inglis to take his wicket tally in his maiden World Cup to 20, leaving Australia  seven wickets down with 20 more needed to win. Coetzee, who was included in the World Cup squad after an injury to Anrich Nortje, made an admirable comeback with the ball after being smashed for 15 in his first over. His meteoric rise, along with opener Quinton de Kock’s blazing run in what he’s indicated is his ODI swansong, were among the positives for South Africa in a World Cup campaign where they ended up exceeding expectations by reaching the semis yet again. “As a young guy he was a warrior. There wasn’t much happening for him to bowl like that and get the wicket of Smith, get us back into the game. He kept on going until he was cramping,” Bavuma said of Coetzee. “Outstanding tournament. Would have wanted to end on a different note, but he’ll remember the fight we showed as a team. We’ve enjoyed playing with him, in SA he will go down as a legend of the game,” the Proteas skipper said of de Kock.