Centuries for Bavuma, Miller, but cricket takes a back seat

Sometimes cricket isn’t really about the cricket. Even in a place so utterly about cricket as the Wanderers. Even when teams as eminent as South Africa and Australia play. Even when they play on a glorious spring Sunday.

This Sunday was one of those times. Temba Bavuma appeared for the toss in South Africa’s pinkest Pink Day kit yet. Was it Barbie pink? Maybe magenta. Or fandango or fuchsia. Shocking? It certainly shocked, in a good way.

Since 2013 South Africa have worn pink kit at least once a year — they did it twice in 2013 — to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. The charitable habit has survived Covid — the game, against Pakistan, was played to an audience of none in April 2021 — and a format swap — it was a T20I against West Indies in January last year.

CSA took the symbolism deeper in thoughtful ways on Sunday. South Africa’s players did not wear their own names on the backs of their shirts, as they usually do, but those of breast cancer survivors. They lined up alongside the players for photographs before the start of the match.

Tazmin Brits’ mother, Zeldine Brits, had her fight saluted on Aiden Markram’s shirt. Zeldine has outed herself as a firm fan of David Miller. But his shirt was unavailable, and for the best reason: it honoured his own mother, Jenny Miller.

“She’s been through a lot in the last couple of years,” Miller told the host broadcaster. “It’s a great initiative and really nice to have a personal touch on each shirt. And it’s nice to represent my mom.”

Sometimes watching cricket is also about watching rugby. South Africa were 125/3 after 21 overs when the Wallabies and the Springboks kicked off in Perth. With that the home side would have lost a chunk of the South African television viewers who had tuned in to the cricket.

The Boks are the nation’s darlings, sporting and otherwise. It helps that they have won four World Cups, more than any other country in rugby and four more than any other senior South Africa team in any sport until their cricketing counterparts triumphed in the WTC final last year.

Forced to choose between watching the Boks or the Proteas, many South Africans would opt for the former. Even with Temba Bavuma looking good for his 56 not out off 69 and Miller quietly slipping through the gears for his unbeaten 17 off 15.

Australia led 24-17 when halftime arrived in Perth. Those who switched back to the cricket for the interval would have seen Bavuma and Miller still together. Bavuma, in his 55th ODI innings, was eight runs away from his sixth century. Miller was four runs past 50. South Africa were in solid shape: 200/3 in the 32nd.

Did the viewers stay or did they go? Because Bavuma was 98 when the players ran back onto the field in Perth and 99 when the match restarted. Here’s hoping remotes were left alone for long enough to see Bavuma latch onto a slower bouncer from Jack Edwards well enough to take a single to midwicket.

No doubt the switch had been made by the time, a dozen balls later, Bavuma skied Edwards to deep cover to go for 103 off 116. Along with a stand of 132 off 156, that put paid to an innings that rippled with authority. Bavuma isn’t the most aggressive batter around. But he is among the most dependable, and often that’s more valuable to his team.

Miller was 92 when Bavuma was dismissed. Tristan Stubbs faced the next seven deliveries but Miller took his chance when Xavier Bartlett overcooked the eighth; a yorker, which was driven down the ground for a boundary.

Four balls later Stubbs was days early trying to hook another Edwards slower delivery and blooped a catch to the wicketkeeper. Miller was 98. Marco Jansen faced the next three balls before he was back on strike to nudge Hazlewood for a single off his hip. The next six balls were dealt with by Jansen.

Miller might well have wondered where his next chance to reach his eighth ODI hundred would come from. So, immediately he was back on strike, he lashed Bartlett through point for four to settle the issue.

Then he muscled 39 off the last 20 balls he faced, living with cramp along the way, for his career-best 142 off 93. The Australians would have been relieved when he slashed a catch to point to earn Edwards’ first five-wicket haul in his second ODI. There were 21 balls left in the innings after that happened — who knows how many more marauding Miller might have made had he hung around for longer.

Even so, the target of 366 was bigger than any Australia had yet chased down. But, like they did at Kingsmead on Friday, the visitors were not about to die wondering. But, also like they did in Durban, they dwindled to defeat.

Halfway through their innings at Kingsmead, Australia were 51 runs ahead of where South Africa were at the same stage. But the Aussies buckled in the face of a fierce bowling and fielding performance. They lost all 10 wickets for 140 and the match by 67. On Sunday the visitors were 50 runs and a wicket on top at halfway. This time they lost their 10 wickets for 203 and the game by 32.

When South Africa fall victim to that kind of defeat it doesn’t take long for them to be accused of choking. We should be pleased that somehow that insult hasn’t been slung at the Australians. But it seems what’s good for the Proteas isn’t good for the yellow fellows.

That’s unlikely to change even if the series narrative remains intact for the last game of the rubber in Potchefstroom on Wednesday. What certainly won’t change is the truth that South Africa have now reeled off six consecutive bilateral series victories over Australia.

Click here to read article