Albie blasts Blackcaps
6 May 2010
Albie Morkel’s 40 from 18 balls, including five sixes, proved the difference between the two sides as New Zealand fell 13 runs short of South Africa’s 170-4.
With 171 required to win, a solid partnership or two was required from New Zealand to chase it down, but outstanding fielding led by Herschelle Gibbs ensured that the game remained in South Africa’s hands.
Earlier, the last five overs of South Africa’s innings (which produced 62) proved the difference between the teams. South Africa had slumped a little in the middle overs, but AB de Villiers and Gibbs saw off a quiet period which included a boundary drought which lasted 22 balls. But Morkel was provided the exceptional in an innings which may otherwise have qualified as solid.
Belting low full tosses employed by the Kiwis (three of his five sixes coming in a 21 run Tim Southee over) Morkel was never tested with the short ball. De Villiers, played his part with two sixes of his own; the partnership produced 72 runs in just 6.2 overs and wrecked New Zealand’s plans of restricting South Africa to a score in the 140s, effectively batting them from the game.
In response, the best partnership New Zealand could manage was 44 between Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill for the second wicket, but when Johan Botha put the brakes on, Guptill fell hitting out. New Zealand needed their starts to be converted, but both Ryder (33) and Ross Taylor (19) capitulated, each ending their innings with soft shots to players in the inner circle.
Morkel’s influence was clearly felt; at the 15th the Kiwi’s required 62, the exact number of runs raked in by Morkel and de Villiers in the final five overs of the Protea’s innings. But New Zealand could not match Morkel’s ferocity; falling 13 runs short despite cameos from Gareth Hopkins and Nathan McCullum.
South Africa 170-4 (20 overs)
AB de Villiers 47*, Albie Morkel 40, Jacob Oram 1-22
New Zealand 157-7 (20 overs)
Jesse Ryder 33, Nathan McCullum 26*, Morne Morkel 2-27
South Africa won by 13 runs
Click here for a full scorecard.
122 Comments
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6 May 2010, 22:34 pm
reds will get bliksemmed again tomorrow.
On a serious note…..we must be careful of the brumbies.
6 May 2010, 22:35 pm
Very nice very nice. I actually had a prego in mind (believe it or not).
6 May 2010, 22:35 pm
just don’t bowl any extras morkel
6 May 2010, 22:36 pm
@grant10(grant10)-101: Stop stressing about the Brumbies! Worry about the Sharks first. Brumbies will not do anything at Newlands should they make it.
6 May 2010, 22:37 pm
what is the weather forecast for bulls game?
6 May 2010, 22:37 pm
SA wins, hope we get rid of the choker’s tag, like certain teams in rugby
6 May 2010, 22:38 pm
NZ put up a flippen spirited fight. Well done to Biff and the boytjies. Game of the tourney maybe?
6 May 2010, 22:39 pm
@Johan Fourie(CANADIAN BOK)-104: i was at that game where we lost….we were unlucky….but they are a dangerous side and are hitting there strapa at the right time….and got toomua back at 10 so gits to 12….G Smith and Mortlock back….dangerous okes i tell you!
6 May 2010, 22:40 pm
well done boys
6 May 2010, 22:40 pm
**** the difference was like 2 sixes. Had Roelof bowled a spell then we’d have surely lost
6 May 2010, 22:41 pm
INCLUDE Gibbs in all games now. Put up some score with the bat and fetched us Ryder and B.Mccullum’s catches.
6 May 2010, 22:43 pm
J I s s ^
6 May 2010, 22:46 pm
@Partizan(Partizan)-110:
Luckily Roelof didn’t play, he couldn’t even save a four there when he came on for one minute. Albie man of the match.
6 May 2010, 22:50 pm
@brigadier van zyl: #100
we both know Roy sorted out the nic stealing…either way happy blogging brigs & watch the high tackles..
6 May 2010, 23:14 pm
6 May 2010, 23:16 pm
6 May 2010, 23:53 pm
Come now Proteas, show your B team on Saturday how the game should be played
7 May 2010, 02:35 am
Well done to the team…looks a lot better balanced with vd Merwe out and Botha in, Gibbs in place of Bosman.
Have never rated either vd Merwe or Bosman, both rely on luck, are nothing ore than sloggers who win some, lose plenty. Gibbs has the class, let’s hope he has the hunger.
Again!
Finally, will those Kallis-knockers get off the man’s back. He is the rock in the team, the truly world-class batsman and a more than useful bowler. Okay, he might be a bit slow at times but his record of late in T20 stuff is more than acceptable.
No other team – not a single one – has that luxury. And we whinge?
7 May 2010, 02:46 am
Well done boys!
7 May 2010, 09:19 am
We need a change at the top of the order to accelerate our run rate. Kallis starts slow, Smith looks rusty and Gibbs looks as though he is fighting for his place, and too scare to bat with his normal freedom. I would open with AB. He did it in the WC in 2007 in the Windies. He would take advantage of the field restrictions in the first 6 overs, and take pressure off the other 3 guys.
7 May 2010, 09:42 am
@ralf2(ralf2)-120:
Agreed…but 1stly, congrats to the team for pulling off an easy win…kinda suspected they were giving the fringe players a run before the proper tourney started…Gibbs is batting too high up the order…I would swop him with Albie, because he can’t handle genuine pace any longer, but he could be destructive with the older ball. Smith though has to open, same with Kallis.
I sensed yesterday that they had a game plan…one batsman would attack from the onset while the other gets himself in, which never quite came off but it’s a good strategy I think.
They kept the run rate above 8, even through the middle overs where the faster players were picking off the singles and turning ones in to two’s, although they did show a bit too much respect to Vettori who is struggling with a stiff back.
If they tweaked their strategy slightly and be slightly more attacking during overs 7 to 14, they have the potential to reach 190 or even 200 but at least it looks as though they have a solid, if predictable game plan at present.
7 May 2010, 21:48 pm
So Gibbs gets another 30 from 24 balls, took two wonderful catches nd he is THE MAN again. His time is past, I’m afraid. Anybody who had been playing top cricket for close on 20 years and still cannot kick on when needed, should be dropped.
Rather give me Bosman, the only SA player who has the ability to score a 100 in a T20 match currently.
Gibbs and Kallis with their SR of around 130/140 will never be able to do it. Not if you take into account that an opening batsman will probably face around 60-65 balls at most.
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