Rain adds to Proteas World Cup Woes
Monday’s abandoned game against the West Indies at the Hampshire Bowl handed the Proteas their first point at the World Cup.
After being asked to bat first, the Proteas found themselves at 29-2 midway through the eighth over with Sheldon Cottrell claiming the scalps of Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram.
Persistent rain then ruined any chance of the players coming back out and by 4:00pm local time, the game was declared a wash-out.
UPDATE | MATCH ABANDONED
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) June 10, 2019
The weather has not relented and as a result the game has been called off. The sides will get a point each. #ProteaFire 🔥#CWC19 #SAvWI pic.twitter.com/qvy4Cdf6Ap
RAIN DELAY | UPDATE
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) June 10, 2019
The covers were removed, albeit momentarily, now it is raining again. There was a pitch inspection due at 16:15hrs CAT however with the covers back on that will not happen as planned.#ProteaFire 🔥#CWC19 #SAvWI pic.twitter.com/buMRbnWn1F
“The horse is out the shed, if that's the right wording,” Proteas captain Faf Du Plessis said.
“We wanted to play a full game today. I think it's pretty obvious that when you play a team like the West Indies you want to play a full 100-over game. So it's disappointing the fact we didn't get a game.”
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The skipper did admit that with the Proteas already two-down the match situation suited the Islanders.
“The further the game goes, the closer to a T20 game, being two down already, the odds are heavily in their favour. So as it got a bit later in the day, then you'd rather get the point and go,” Du Plessis explained.
The Proteas can now amass a total of 11 points if they win their remaining five games.
“We are in this position because we haven't played our best cricket so we don't deserve to be anywhere close to the top of the log,” Du Plessis said.
“We have got Afghanistan next which are also a dangerous team. We need to start playing better cricket, more consistent and more solid cricket. If we do that, and the results start one by one happening, then this team will get a lot of confidence from that for the latter stages,” he concluded.
