South Africa need to tidy up their fielding, according to all-rounder Corbin Bosch, as they gear up for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.
The Proteas warmed up for the second round of the tournament by cruising to a commanding six-wicket win over United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their last match of the group stages in Delhi on Wednesday.
With the SA side having already qualified for the Super 8 stage, and the fixtures of seeded teams predetermined for the next round, it was a dead rubber clash, but the Proteas delivered a solid performance with bat and ball.
After restricting the UAE team to 122/6, they had no trouble chasing down their target as they reached 123/4 with more than six overs to spare.
However, the Proteas were sloppy in the field, and Bosch (who was named Player of the Match after taking 3/12 with the ball) admitted they needed to clean up their performance ahead of their first Super 8 match against defending champions India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
“It is something that happens, but we would rather it happen now,” said Bosch, who took his 100th career T20 wicket.
“I also dropped one, and it wasn’t my best, and it’s not our standards. But it will probably be addressed a bit later.
“We are a much better fielding unit than that, so I do think we’ll have to lift it, especially in the Super 8 stage. Every chance we get we have to take it, and we’ll have to be at our best.”
Bench players given a chance
The Proteas were pleased to be able to give some second-choice players a chance to have a run against the minnows on Wednesday, with middle-order batter Jason Smith and fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Kwena Maphaka playing their first games of the tournament.
Smith faced only five balls in an unbeaten three-run knock, but Nortje (2/28) and Maphaka (0/30) each got four overs in with the ball
“I think it was a nice run for everyone because you never know what happens later down the competition,” Bosch said.
“So I think it was a good run, especially for the guys who have been on the bench, and they did fantastically well today, so I think that bodes well for us moving forward.”
After this weekend’s match against hosts India, South Africa will face West Indies and Zimbabwe next week as they target a spot in the semifinals.
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