Left goes right as South Africa's new World Cup C-word reads 'Clutch'... So far
The excruciating experiences South African fans have endured during past World Cup games call for a separate book with multiple chapters, with the ongoing T20 World Cup being no different. Yet, the ebbs and flows during their matches this tournament, with Protea fans' heart rates skyrocketing on cue, have pleasantly ended in ecstasy instead of the usual agony.
Suddenly, finishing on the right side of a fourth consecutive humdinger and winning six on the trot has cricket lovers wondering if South Africa have unlocked a new C-word - Clutch.
For starters, South Africa have already enjoyed the rub of the green in several matches thus far, from the Mahmudullah dead-ball debacle to the overturning of Mark Wood's catch off Quinton de Kock to Heinrich Klaasen escaping a close LBW shout, among others.
However, their latest and most impressive win against England wasn't only about the rub of the green or clutch play at the end. There was some left-handed method to the madness.
How Southpaws spurred South Africa past England
The narrative of how a left-hand batter or left-arm bowler creates a pivotal point of difference in the shortest format was essentially validated during the crucial South Africa-England encounter. On a windy morning in St. Lucia, the Proteas capitalized on the same with their southpaws during their batting and bowling stints.
It started with left-handed opener Quinton de Kock unleashing most of his sixes in the direction of the wind to propel South Africa to a dominant 63/0 after the powerplay. After his dismissal for a well-compiled 65 off 38 and a dismal stutter in the middle phase of the innings, another left-hander David Miller produced a few lusty blows during his vital 28-ball 43 to take them past the 160-run mark.
For context, the other batters, all the right-handers in the side combined to score 45 off 54 deliveries.
Fast forward to the bowling, and it was left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj's turn to lead the Proteas into the ascendency. He bowled a magical spell of 2/25 in his four overs, including the massive wickets of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, to effectively seal the deal.
Yet, England made a final push and reduced the required equation to just 21 runs off 12 deliveries. It left South African skipper Aiden Markam pressing his final left-handed button, the lanky Marco Jansen.
The left-arm pacer bowled a sensational seven-run penultimate over to bolster South Africa's chances of a memorable win. And they did just that, restricting England to only six off the final over to complete a seven-run victory.
There is no denying that almost all the credit for the South African celebration that ensured should be laid at the feet of their unimpeachable southpaws.
Quinton de Kock's 2024 T20 World Cup - An inversion from 2023 ODI World Cup that augurs well for SA
That 'When Quinton de Kock is flowing, South Africa are flowing' is stating the obvious. This makes the timing of his dominance in a tournament vital to the chances for the Rainbow Nation to taste ultimate success.
After all, the 31-year-old averages an impressive 34.51 in 50 South African wins compared to under 28 in their losses in T20Is. Furthermore, a closer look at their scores in the ongoing T20 World Cup highlights De Kock's importance to their overall batting.
The champion batter never crossed 20 in their first four outings and the result? Team scores of 80/4 in the 17th over, 106/6 in the 19th over in run chases, followed by another two sub-120 totals batting first. Then come the Super Eights and De Kock wakes up from his slumber with scores of 74 and 65, resulting in team totals of 194 and 163.
Even England skipper Jos Buttler surrendered to the fact that despite several other moments transpiring later in the game, De Kock was the difference between the sides.
"Quinton de Kock came out with a lot of intensity in that powerplay, and we couldn't quite match that. I think we were probably 20 behind them after six overs. The wicket slowed up and we brought it back really well, we were quite happy chasing 160 [164]. But yeah, they bowled well in the powerplay and Quinton de Kock's innings was probably the difference," said Buttler at the post-match presentation.
A treacherous start followed by back-to-back match-winning knocks nearing the business end of the tournament is the reverse of what De Kock brought to the table during South Africa's semi-final run in last year's ODI World Cup.
The swashbuckling batter smashed four centuries in the first seven matches, leading to South Africa winning six of those games. However, De Kock failed to cross even 50 in their final three outings, including the semi-final, and the Proteas suffered defeats in all but one of those matches.
Considering the above numbers, Aiden Markram's unit may be better served that the most accomplished batter in their current squad did not peak too early and is firing now in the matches that matter the most. Lest we forget, the current South African white-ball unit have tended to go as far as De Kock carries them.
History suggests South Africa are still nowhere near touching distance of a semi-final berth
Six consecutive wins, no losses, what's to worry? Unfortunately, their torrid history with similar beginnings and unfathomable climaxes. Think back to the first-ever T20 World Cup in 2007 and the latest edition in 2022.
Playing at home, South Africa won both group-stage encounters before consecutive victories in their first two Super Eight games. Yet, one defeat by a wide margin in their final Super Eight clash against India crushed their title hopes and saw them bowing out of the tournament.
It revealed that South Africa wasn't immune to a pre-semi-final exit despite winning four straight outings to begin the competition.
Fast forward to 15 years later in 2022, the Proteas defeated Bangladesh and pre-tournament favorites India to kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign. Yet, with only a win against Pakistan or the Netherlands needed to clinch a semi-final spot, the African side squandered both opportunities to make an embarrassing exit from the tournament.
It was further evidence that irrespective of how spectacular the first half or even three-quarters of South African World Cup movies were, a self-implosive culmination is almost always par for the course.
Hence, even at six consecutive wins and no losses, South African fans will be well aware that a defeat to the West Indies in their final Super Eight clash and another heartbreaking exit pre-semi-final can sadly not be ruled out.