Proteas coach Rob Walter during a press conference Proteas coach Rob Walter lamented the fact that his young charges were not up to the task of giving the West Indies a good run for their money in their T20I series. Picture: ICC
Despite fielding a widely inexperienced team in their T20 International (T20I) series against hosts West Indies, Proteas coach Rob Walter said his young charges were some way off in truly competing with their opponents.
South Africa were whitewashed 3-0 as they lost the third T20I in Tarouba on Tuesday, and though there were some standout Proteas performances they were unable to produce the results.
In the rain-affected third clash, South Africa managed 108/4 in their 13 overs. West Indies romped to their adjusted victory total of 116 in 9.2 overs to complete an eight-wicket thumping over the tourists.
Though there were some positives, Walter said it was always difficult to go down in the manner his team did.
Despite fielding a widely inexperienced team in their T20 International (T20I) series against hosts West Indies, Proteas coach Rob Walter said his young charges were some way off in truly competing with their opponents.
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“It was a tough game and series for us. West Indies played really well. The conditions were really tough today. We saw the ball turn a lot in their first four overs and the first over after the rain delay. From then on it was very good to bat and very wet in the second half. It was very difficult for the spinners to grip the ball,” said Walter.
“We didn’t get enough runs and bowl well enough to make a game of it. All in all, we were put under pressure in the three games and we weren’t up to the mark. We just weren’t able to string consistent performances together.”
There were some players who shone in a losing cause, like Tristan Stubbs who managed scores of 40, 28 and 76 during the series. Walter also made mention of Kwena Maphaka, as the 18-year-old became SA’s youngest-ever debutant in the format during the series. Maphaka returned respectable figures of 1/25, 0/29 and 0/34 across the three games.
“Tristan Stubbs stands out with his performances. Patrick Kruger was a nice find, he batted well in the first T20 (44) and bowled well (2/29) in the second. It was nice to give him a run in the team.
“Kwena Maphaka bowled very well in different periods. He’s got speed, and a left-armer always gives a different angle. He’s able to swing the ball. He bowled some seriously good overs at the death which showed he can handle the pressure of T20 cricket. Now it’s about ensuring we take care of his progression.
“As a young cricketer, this will be invaluable experience for him, as it will be for the other new faces in our team. Irrespective of the result, it was a huge win that we were able to give those guys the exposure.”
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