In contrast to World Cup practice they kept the public bars open after lunch at the North West Stadium on Wednesday. You can probably blame Herschelle Gibbs for this breach of tournament protocol.
Gibbs was clearly intent on completing South Africa’s 10-wicket Pool B victory over Kenya as quickly as possibly, so much so that the powers-that-be must have worked out that if they’d waited the regulation hour-and-a-half, the match would have been over anyway and there wouldn’t have been much point in reopening the beer taps.
South Africa lost their opening match against the West Indies in Cape Town and were clearly in no mood for a Canada-Bangladesh-type upset. The hosts bowled Kenya out for 140 in 38 overs and then took just a further 21.2 overs to gallop to victory with Gibbs hitting a 66-ball 87 not out and Gary Kirsten making an unbeaten 52.
It was all over just after 3pm, but while it was about as comprehensive a victory as South Africa could have wished for, it was not a performance entirely without blemish. The South Africans dropped four catches during the Kenya innings and the culprits were not names usually associated with uncertain hands.
Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher spilled two of the chances, dropping Ravindu Shah on two (he went on to top score with 60) and Thomas Odoyo, who celebrated his life by promptly hitting the luckless Nicky Boje’s next two deliveries for six and four. Jonty Rhodes missed a chance of Maurice Odumbe in the covers with the Kenyan captain on 15, but this inexpensive with Odumbe getting out for 16 and Shaun Pollock gave Odoyo his second life, grassing a slip chance off Makhaya Ntini.
It was also a victory not achieved without cost. Rhodes broke a bone in his right hand while fielding, an injury confirmed by X-rays taken in Potchefstroom. He subsequently departed for Johannesburg to see a specialist. At this stage his participation in Sunday’s match against New Zealand at the Wanderers is in some doubt as, indeed, is his entire World Cu p.
On the bright side, Gibbs was in sparkling mood as he carried South Africa to victory, batting with imperious confidence as he struck the ball all around the wicket. Kirsten was almost subdued in contrast, but the left-hander’s 52 took him only 53 balls.
Lance Klusener, who once named the North-West Stadium as his least favourite ground, was the pick of the South African bowlers, claiming four for 16. In 1999 he took five for 21 against Kenya in Amsterdam and he has good reason to regard the Kenyans as his bunny team.
Klusener’s runs against the West Indies on Sunday suggested an end to a long period of indifferent form and his wickets on Wednesday will do little harm to his confidence. He acknowledged as much afterwards.
Pollock said he was unperturbed by the lapses in the field (well, seeing as he dropped one of them he would say that, wouldn’t he), but is clear that the victory has lifted at least some of the pressure and gloom that dropped over the team after the West Indies match.
Potchefstroom, quiet and out-of-the-way, may have been the best place for the South Africans to lick their wounds. On Sunday, however, they step back into the pressure cooker against a desperate New Zealand side at the Wanderers. This should prove a much more significant test of South Africa’s World Cup prospects.
More cricket in our Cricket World Cup special report