South Africa have never won a T20 series Down Under.
Though they have some big series and tournaments coming up, Proteas batter Tristan Stubbs says the national team are fully focused on securing a historic victory over Australia in the T20 International series decider in Cairns on Saturday (11.15am start).
After falling in a 17-run defeat in the opening fixture of the three-match series in Darwin, the SA team hit back to crush their hosts by 53 runs in the second game earlier this week.
This set them up to target their first T20 series victory over Australia since 2009, and their first ever series win Down Under in the short format.
“We’re really excited. After the first one it was really important to bounce back and it sets us up well for the series decider,” Stubbs, who was celebrating his 25th birthday, said on Thursday.
Not looking too far ahead
After their tour of Australia, the Proteas were set to tour England, with both series playing key roles in their long-term build-up to the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka early next year.
And while some of the younger members of the squad were using these tours to try and cement their places in the Proteas squad for the global showpiece, Stubbs said those ambitions would be placed on the back burner this weekend.
With a historic victory on the line, he said they were concentrating entirely on the match that lay ahead.
“We’re a young side, so for us to win a series here in Australia would be really cool for us,” said Stubbs, who contributed 37 and 31 with the bat in the previous two matches.
“We go to England straight after this, and we can take momentum, so I think the big goal right now is to win Saturday’s game.”
Different pitch and conditions
Having arrived in Cairns on Wednesday, Stubbs said they expected windy conditions this weekend.
Despite potentially challenging conditions, however, the tourists were eager to compete on a new surface after playing the first two matches of the series in Darwin.
“It’s a beautiful ground, and I’m glad we’re playing on a pitch and not a drop-in. It looks amazing.” Stubbs said.
“It seems like there’s a bit of wind around, and the groundsman seems to think it dies down at night, but I think it will definitely play a part.”
