CT Eng V SL: Hosts Out Of Tournament But Not Because Of Smith

The South Africa’s ICC events horror show was back again. One would have thought looking at the margin of defeat, twenty-two runs, that one would have to rewind back to the 1992 World Cup when South Africa needed exactly that many runs off the last ball off the eventual victor of the match, England, again!
South Africa’s exit from the ICC Champions Trophy did not end in ignominy thanks to Graeme Smith. But South Africa’s defeat was no less one of despair as they have bowed out of the ICC tournament at the league stage itself.
South Africa had a mammoth run chase on the cards just to stay alive in the tournament, let alone guarantee a spot in the semi finals. New Zealand had thrown things helter-skelter by defeating Sri Lanka for Group B to no longer breathe easy.
Their chase of 323 began with comeback man, Herschelle Gibbs, and the South African captain taking the assault to the England bowlers. Prepped by the likes of Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan, England could afford to be more ruthless and South Africa’s early happiness was short lived.
Gibbs was dismissed for twenty-two with the score on forty-two in the seventh over and from then on, Smith struggled for want a companion who would support his challenge. In that sense, Smith’s innings was one of contrast to the way the rest of the South African batsmen. He appeared to play from confidence, grit, and purpose. The same though could not be said of the rest of the batsmen. Somewhere they hit a chink and left Smith at crucial intervals.
There was little doubt that more than the England bowlers, who did bowl well and James Anderson and Stuart Broad can take credit for their respective three wicket hauls, it was the South African batsmen and a suddenly lapse of judgement or impetuosity that got the better of them when they did get starts. And all the top order batsmen got into double digit figures.
Perhaps then, while the seventy-eight run partnership between Smith and AB de Villiers and thereafter, another brief one for JP Duminy and Smith, perhaps the turning point happened in the latter half of the match when Smith, undaunted by the fact that South Africa needed ninety-eight runs in the final ten overs, was backing his ability as well as that of Albie Morkel.
Morkel, batting on seventeen from fourteen balls, including a six and a four, was run out first ball of the forty-fifth over with South Africa on 255 for six with his wicket. Had Morkel hung around, the deficit would have disappeared and Smith hailed the hero for his magnificent 141 runs at the Centurion that came from 134 balls including fourteen boundary shots.
Instead Smith’s return to the pavilion marked what was virtually the end of the line for South Africa yet again in a home tournament that will leave early and empty handed after many high expectations.

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