“Next game, we can raise the intensity in the middle phase,” said Proteas T20 skipper, Heinrich Klaasen, after Pakistan won the first T20 against South Africa by three runs.
Having batted first, Pakistan set South Africa a target of 169, thanks to an unbeaten century (104 off 64) from wicket-keeper-batsman, Mohammad Rizwan. Klaasen was satisfied with the Proteas’ bowling performance, saying, “I was pleased with the score, they were ten runs short.”
South Africa got off to a solid start, with openers Jaaneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks scoring 44 and 54 respectively, after which the middle-order was unable to capitalize on their momentum. Klaasen attributed this loss largely to the Proteas’ performance in the middle overs of their batting innings.
“Four or five overs in the middle, we made life difficult for ourselves,” Klaasen said. However, he took heart from the fact that the Proteas were generally playing a high standard of cricket. “Pleasing to see we’re playing good cricket,” said Klaasen.
For the Proteas to win more games of cricket, Klaasen believes it is important for the team to capitalize on crucial moments in the game. “The key for us is to be patient and take the opportunities,” Klaasen signed off.
