As the Proteas prepare to take on the mighty India in the T20 World Cup final in Bridgetown on Saturday, they would do well to take heed of a South African team that has been there before.
It’s the first time that a men’s Proteas team has made a World Cup final, while the SA women’s team achieved the feat as hosts last year in the T20 World Cup.
In February last year, the Proteas women became the first senior side to reach the final of a World Cup. Led by skipper Sune Luus, the Proteas women were up against heavy favourites Australia.
Like their female counterparts, the Proteas will be underdogs against a powerful India team this weekend.
In the final in Cape Town in February 2023, Australia won the toss and chose to bat.
The Proteas Women did well in restricting the women in yellow to 156/6. It could have been a much lower total, but Beth Mooney top-scored with 74, with the next best score being just 29.
Disciplined bowling
This is where the men’s team can learn a trick. It may seem obvious, but it’s imperative the Proteas men do not allow any Indian batsman to dominate. That will mean tight bowling lines, good fielding and not giving away easy singles. Going a step further, eliminating easy boundaries will also be key.
While the Proteas will be under immense pressure to win, India may be under even more. SA can use that to their advantage, and breaking partnerships will be the best way to transfer the pressure.
In the Proteas women’s chase, like Australia, they had one batter dominate. That was the brilliant Laura Wolvaardt with 61 from 48. Once she departed though, with South Africa still needing 48 from 21 balls the contest was over. Of course they had already fallen behind the required rate before that, as they made a hash of their chase as they eventually fell to a 19-run defeat.
This is another area the Proteas men can focus on, but it’s also something they have already achieved in this World Cup. There has been no one main star, and if one batsman or bowler fails - there has always been someone else that steps up. The Proteas men will need to continue this, and block out the self-imposed nerves of a final.
It’s also to the Proteas team’s credit that they came through seven tight-encounters in this men’s T20 World Cup victorious. Only their semi-final win over Afghanistan was a truly one-sided affair. It shows they have the ability to perform under the greatest pressure, and they sorely need to carry that ability into the final.
Proteas coach Rob Walter ahead of their T20 World Cup semi-final against Afghanistan on Thursday: "It's a very close group of people, we've come a long way together."
📽️: ICC pic.twitter.com/99OASIxmB3
Quality batsmen waiting in the wings
One feels that if one of the Proteas opening batsmen fail, the other one will carry the load. And should SA lose both openers at the start, skipper Aiden Markram will be keen to leave his mark with the willow. He will need to be well-supported by the experienced David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen. Youngsters like Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen could also be called on to score vital runs, and they too need to be ready.
It has to be said, in the Proteas women’s final - none of their bowlers truly dominated.
In comparison, the Proteas men’s attack have the potential for any one of their bowlers to set the tone. Jansen did just that against Afghanistan, while leader of the attack Kagiso Rabada is close to his best form of his career. Add in the express pace of Anrich Nortje and spin twins Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, and they have all the ingredients for success.
There will be many lessons the men’s team can take from the Proteas women, and with a bit of luck the glory of T20 World Cup champions could well be on the horizon.