Hostile Rabada and co spare batsmen’s blushes

The Proteas’ build-up to the World Cup has been dominated by the debate on whether their ODI side should be loaded with all-rounders.

Answers have been scarce and continue to be so after Faf du Plessis and his troops won the second ODI against Sri Lanka by 113 runs in Centurion on Wednesday night.

In all honesty, the match provided little justification for the inclusion of two all-rounders as they played negligible roles in South Africa going 2-0 up in the five-match series.

Defending a competitive if hardly unbeatable 252, the pace and hostility of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi (2/14) and Anrich Nortje proved instrumental in the Sri Lankans’ batting collapse.

Rabada recovered brilliantly from an expensive first spell to grab 3/43, while the inexperienced Nortje – who only made his debut last weekend – struck with his first delivery to dismiss the dangerous Kusal Perera and then later claimed another key wicket when he trapped Oshada Fernando in front.

He could also add a fine run out to his contribution of 2/25 with the ball.

Imran Tahir chipped in with 2/39.

Meanwhile, batting all-rounder Wiaan Mulder bowled just two overs, while his bowling counterpart Andile Phehlukwayo wasn’t even thrown the ball.

It was the same story with the Proteas’ batting effort, where a lack of batting depth seemed to undermine them, especially after they’d been 131/1 in the 21st over.

They owed that brilliant start to Quinton de Kock, who batted sublimely to make a 70-ball 94.

There was precious little of the left-hander’s brutish stroke-play as he focused on timing and finesse.

It truly was a thrilling, 17-four effort that should’ve seen the host on their way to a total of at least 320.

When he holed out disappointingly to a Thisara Perera slower ball, it actually was the start of South Africa’s collapse.

Captain Faf du Plessis had propped up the rest of the effort with a fluent 57 off 66 deliveries, which was ended when he missed a pull to a Thisara delivery that kept low.

He had little support.

Mulder (17), afforded a proper opportunity to bat, started like a house on fire with four boundaries in four balls off Kasun Rajitha before he somehow managed to bowl himself around his legs.

Later on, Phehlukwayo (2) had almost 14 overs left to bat with David Miller, but sliced a poor shot to point when he really should’ve just played himself in.

Both situations were tailor-made for Mulder and Phehlukwayo – that’s what they’ve been picked for – and they failed to kick on.

From nothing, Sri Lanka have managed to keep themselves firmly in the game.

Then the South Africans’ bowling “specialists” struck.

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