Magical Miller saves Proteas from another Dutch nightmare

David Miller scored the last 16 runs in what was a tense chase at the Nassau County International Stadium, in Long Island, securing the Proteas a four-wicket win in their group D clash with the Netherlands on Saturday night.

Needing a target of just 104, the Proteas crashed to 12/4 midway through the fifth over, with images of their last two World Cup defeats to the Orange Army undoubtedly floating around in their heads. 

But Miller and Tristan Stubbs showed patience and good judgment to get through that difficult period in which the Dutch executed with efficiency. 

The Proteas duo took stock at the halfway stage and scored 33 runs in the four overs following that drinks break to gain some momentum.

But the Dutch would have felt they were just one wicket away from getting the advantage again and following an excellent maiden by the metronomic Paul van Meekeren in the 16th over, Stubbs succumbed to the pressure and was caught on the boundary for 33. 

His partnership of 65 for the fifth wicket with Miller was vital in providing SA with a foundation, which allowed Miller to launch later. 

With 16 needed off the last two overs, Miller made sure the 20th wouldn’t be bowled. He crushed the first ball of the penultimate over bowled by Bas de Leede for six, lofted the fourth delivery four a boundary over the covers and finished the match with another six over midwicket. 

Miller struck three fours and four sixes in his innings of 59, that came off only 51 balls. 

The tension that enveloped the batting was absent when SA bowled, with Aiden Markram understandably choosing that option after winning the toss. 

Despite no obvious demons in the pitch, as had been the case earlier in the week, the Proteas picked a wicket in the first over thanks to Marco Jansen. He should have had another in the third, but the delivery that found the outside edge of Vikram Singh’s bat, was a no-ball.

Nevermind, in his third over Jansen knocked back Singh’s off-stump, this time his front foot in a legal position.

In between, Ottniel Baartman built pressure against the hard-hitting Max O’Dowd. Having frustrated the Dutch opener, he found the outside edge, with Jansen holding onto a blinder at first slip, diving down to his left, taking a one-handed catch.

At 48/6 in the 12th over, the Dutch were in danger of being dismissed without using their 20 overs, but Sybrand Englebrecht — who played for SA at the under-19 World Cup in 2008 — steadied their innings in partnership with Logan Van Beek. 

They took 15 runs off the 19th over bowled by an off-colour Rabada, hitting two fours, while Englbrecht smashed a six over midwicket. 

Their 54-run partnership was ended in the final over by Baartman, who squeezed Engelbrecht with a beautifully executed knuckleball which the batter lifted to Jansen in the covers. 

Nevertheless, in the context of this encounter, his innings of 40 was smartly constructed. 

Baartman was outstanding again, conceding just one run and picking up three wickets in that final over, finishing with 4/11 from four overs.