The finger-pointing is rife after South Africa pulled off a miraculous win over New Zealand in a T20 decider in Auckland earlier this week.
Needing only 17 to win off four overs with six wickets in hand, the Kiwis choked, allowing the Proteas a get-out-of-jail pass that gave the South Africans the win by three runs and with it, a 2-1 series victory.
Former New Zealand middle-order batsman Craig McMillan, now a television commentator, believes it is New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder who should take the blame for the defeat, saying it was Ryder’s selfishness in looking for a half-century that led to the loss.
Ryder, after earlier carting the Proteas’ attack to all parts of the ground in chasing 166 for victory, became stifled on 49. Having bludgeoned 48 off 29 balls to that point, he then took seven more balls to get to his 50. Once there, he played an injudicious paddle shot and was caught on the edge of the circle behind his back.
Still, the Kiwis needed only seven off eight balls.
Young speedster Marchant De Lange, playing in his third T20 international for the Proteas, came on in the final over with the Kiwis needing six runs.
Despite a front-foot no-ball off the last ball De Lange, aided and abetted by blistering pace, conceded only three runs, bagging the wickets of Nathan McCullum and Doug Bracewell to ultimately win the match for the Proteas..
Ryder’s go-to-sleep antics occurred at a crucial time of the innings in the 19th over and the spotlight fell firmly on him as a result.
Said McMillan: “He changed the way he was batting. He actually took about six [balls] trying to get a single and then he hit to the fielder and thought ‘Well I better hit one out of the park because this just isn’t working for me.’
“There were a couple of swings and misses and all of a sudden New Zealand are under pressure where they need seven off the last over. This defeat falls squarely on his shoulders and he has to wear it.”
Now one would think that’s a bit rich coming from McMillan, who on his day could demonstrate some irresponsible batsmanship himself.
Additionally, one can’t believe the post-match histrionics over a T20 game: cricket’s hit-and-giggle version that has yet to win over the heart of many a purist.
However, the Kiwis, perennial under-achievers in Test matches between these two countries, lost a bit of ground in losing the way they did, with the ODIs and the Tests still to come.
How they pick themselves up mentally from this kind of defeat will become clear in the ODI and test series. T20 games, more so than the 50-over version, quickly are transported to the recesses of many a fan’s mind.
A T20 match is like the rolling balls you see on the television on lottery night.
With T20, the odds are better of picking a winner, but it still doesn’t make it any easier. Some team wins a T20 match – and it’s a question of who cares?
That said, Wednesday’s encounter will live long in the memory, if only for the way the Kiwis imploded (and the South African’s believed) when victory, a series victory at that, was there for the taking. For the Kiwis there was much to gain going forward into the rest of the tour by the Proteas.
But to come back to Ryder, the criticism being heaped on him is unfair. His sleepy-headedness aside, he was the one who stood out on the night, among all the batsmen. Brendon and Nathan McCullum, fell to outrageously silly shots.
So foolish and indiscriminate was Nathan’s outlandish paddle attempt a la Ryder, that when one looks back to analyse where the rot set in, it’s that very moment that gives credence to the view that the Kiwis as a unit lost it in the space between their ears.
For the Proteas, Wayne Parnell and Robin Peterson helped South Africa’s tail wag with a quick-fire 28-run partnership that proved vital in the end.
De Lange who conceded 23 runs in his first two overs came back nicely to concede 36 in four, while miserly spinner Johan Botha’s penultimate over did the trick for the Proteas.
The game doesn’t need brash commentators who make comments that hold no water given the pressure these guys are already under.
McMillan should as a commentator provide comment that is well-balanced and based on the understanding that this is a team game, not a one-man band.
I don’t think any player would be stupid enough to play for himself in such circumstances at that stage of the game – not Jesse Ryder.
Actually, now that I’m reminded that these comments about Ryder come from a Kiwi himself, that thought doesn’t only hurt, quite frankly – it sucks!
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