SA ‘not too fazed’ despite hiding

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Christchurch

JP Duminy tried hard to explain away SA’s flaccid performance in their World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Wednesday. Then, in paying the opposition a compliment, he undermined his own argument.

“We are not too fazed about the result,” Duminy said after New Zealand hammered SA’s attack to all parts in their total of 331/8 and dismissed AB de Villiers’ men for 197 in 44.2 overs to win by 134 runs.

“It’s about time in the middle and overs under the belt. I bowled a few overs. Faf (du Plessis) bowled a few. Everybody got a bit out of it. We are not too fazed. It’s nice to take wins away, but we are happy with where we are.

“The guys will put in some good work over the next three days. Come Sunday (when SA play their first pool match against Zimbabwe in Hamilton) we will be ready to go. You want to take the positives and leave it at that. We don’t want to read too much into this result.”

Told of Zimbabwe’s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in another warm-up game in Lincoln on Wednesday, Duminy said: “It will be a big confidence booster for them but I wouldn’t read too much into it. Match intensity compared to warm-up intensity is a big difference. Come Sunday, we will be ready to go. What has happened won’t really phase us.”

But then, asked what he thought of the New Zealanders’ performance, Duminy said: “They have always been a side that’s street smart. They’re definitely going to contend for quarter-final and semi-final spots.

“They were here to play. They came out firing on all cylinders. They started off really well with the ball, and hey have always been recognised as a good fielding side. The intensity was definitely there.”

That seemed suspiciously like the South Africans recognised their opponents’ intensity as a reason for their success, but that they did not the problem in failing to show that quality themselves.

Warm-up matches do not count for much. But intensity does, always.