Well, I can't believe it. I really thought this was going to be South Africa's year at last but only goes to show that having the most balanced side on paper doesn't guarantee success in the World Cup. They still haven't won a match in the knockout stage since their tournament debut in 1992. Graeme Smith couldn't explain it but many onlookers think they can. However, I don't go along with the 'chokers' tag. Sometimes you have to accept that luck is not on your side, and the Proteas have certainly had some unlucky exits in the past. Nevetheless this was not one of them because New Zealand enjoyed a decisive 49-run winning margin. While South Africa seem to under-perform on the biggest stage, New Zealand do the complete opposite, reaching the semis for the fifth time.
It all seemed to be going so swimmingly for the men in green and yellow. They dismissed both NZ openers with the score on 16, before big Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor put on 114. Styris and Williamson struck some meaty blows but the dynamic duo of Steyn and Morkel, supported by Imran Tahir, kept the total to a moderate 221-8. While this was the first time they had failed to bowl out the opposition in this World Cup, the target should not have posed much of a problem on this pitch. However, the floodlights do not often favour those chasing a total.
Fortune favoured the Black Caps in the first over when Amla jabbed a ball from spinner McCullum onto the boot of his brother behind the stumps. It bounced up into Daniel Vettori's hands. Out! Smith and Kallis steadied the ship but once they were both caught in the deep, South Africa collapsed. AB De Villiers and Du Plessis played a couple of promising cameos but their side needed at least half-centuries from them once Duminy fell for 3. It was the giant Jacob Oram who took four wickets and two catches on the way to dismissing SA for only 172 with more than six overs to spare.
This South African squad is quite young and most members could be back in four years' time for another crack at the prize that continues to elude them. However, I suspect we have seen the last of Jacques Kallis. He'll be pushing 40 when the next World Cup comes along and may have called time by then. 2011 will also probably be the last hurrah for Oram, Styris and possibly Vettori but could they crown their World Cup careers by actually winning the tournament? Sounds pretty far-fetched but good all-round cricket has had the better of Pakistan and South Africa already. I think England or Sri Lanka will probably be a match too far for them but New Zealand will definitely be fired up for the challenge next week.
