Garden of Eden for the Proteas?
AUCKLAND: Eden Park. A venue where many great battles have been fought between South Africa and New Zealand through the years. A venue that has given birth to sporting legends on both sides.
While that may have mostly been in the context of rugby clashes between the Springboks and All Blacks, tomorrow these two proud sporting nations and a select group of players have the opportunity to write a unique cricket chapter in this ground’s storied history when they meet in an ICC World Cup semi-final.
Both teams, though, share the ignominy of having yet to win a World Cup semi-final. South Africa have failed in three attempts (1992, 1999, 2007), while New Zealand carry the baggage of six previous semifinal defeats.
What does this actually mean for tomorrow’s grand occasion that will bring this island to a standstill for seven hours? Sweet nothing, but for the fact that one of the Proteas or Black Caps will play their first-ever World Cup final next Sunday in Melbourne.
Tomorrow is a clash between two power-packed teams who are not weighed down by the past.
Proteas mental guru Mike Horn often makes reference to “staying in the now”, while both sets of players exhibit a sense of freedom and flair that is heartily encouraged by their respective captains AB de Villiers and Brendon McCullum.
There is no doubt that McCullum’s men will come charging out the blocks, whether that be through him and his opening partner Martin Guptill, fresh from a doublehundred in the quarter-final
Brendon McCullum (wk), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliot, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, A B de Villiers (capt), Rilee Rossouw, Dave Miller, J P Duminy, Kyle Abbott/Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir Ian Gould (Eng) & Rod Tucker (Aus). Nigel Llong (Eng)
David Boon (Aus) 3am (SA time)
SS2, SS HD3, SABC3 against the West Indies, with the blade, or via that hostile new-ball pair and the tournament’s leading combination Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
If South Africa are to be successful they will need to counter this initial threat with both bat and ball, and the Proteas’ middle-order batsman David Miller believes that they are well equipped to do just that.
“They’re really good with nipping the ball. I don’t think they give the opposition much in the first 10 overs. If they’re going to come out firing, just absorb as much as you can and counter-attack that. It’s going to be a good challenge and everyone’s properly ready for it,” Miller said.
“We’ve had a gameplan over the last year-and-a-half, two years that we’ve been sticking to. It’s just about everyone coming through when the team needs them to do that.”
Miller also shoed that he has a talent for deadpan humor.
Asked if he watched Guptill’s unbeaten innings of 237, Miller affected a poker face and said “no ... what happened?”
Miller then continued: “I didn’t watch a lot of the knock but heard he did really, really well. Obviously a double ton is a phenomenal effort for him. He’s had a couple of great knocks now so it’s good on him.”
South Africa’s emphatic quarter-final victory over Sri Lanka did not even require the superlative talents of De Villiers, the class and touch of JP Duminy or the power of Miller down in the middle-order.
The trio have shown off at various times their individual skills, with each player registering a century in this tournament already.
In high-pressure matches like semi-finals it is often their contributions that are most required, and South Africa will hope a clean striker like Miller is on top form, especially at a ground where his famed “if its in the V, hit in the tree” chirp is a hugely viable scoring option due to the uniquely short straight boundaries at Eden Park.
“Hopefully I can mishit a few straight sixes,” Miller joked before settling down. “It definitely does change the gameplan. Obviously there are longer square (boundaries), so expect both teams are going to bowl a shorter length.”
Although Horn has taken some of the South African players “out of their comfort zones” already with hiking trips up the Swiss Alps previously, there is no doubt there will be whiteknuckle moments that each and every Proteas’ mental resolve will be tested to the limit.
That more than anything could yet prove to be decisive factor between two very evenly matched teams.
“It’s all coming down to the crunch moment now, so soon there will be a lot more pressure put on this game. It’s just another game, as they say, which is obviously clichéd, but it’s about pulling in your emotions and doing the job,” Miller said.
“New Zealand are playing really well, but so are we. To play each other in the semifinal is just going to be out of this world.”
Miller said he felt confident South Africa had a game plan which would allow themt to cope with New Zealand’s aggressive style of play.
“I think we’ve got a game plan over the last year and a half, two years, and it’s just about sticking to things and everyone coming through at the right times when the team needs them to do that.”