Put cricket to music and the numbers will soon dance along

The joyous smashing of records on Sunday will remain longer in the memory than most T20 games with the Proteas chasing down the sixth-highest total yet posted in the format with seven balls to spare. It was ludicrous in its unlikelihood and entertainment value.

Memories of the 438-game in 2006 came flooding back when SA were flogged by Ricky Ponting and his Australians, and they still won. At the weekend, they won again, chasing another world record total, easily, with seven balls to spare.

So many corners have apparently been turned in national squads over the past 28 years for “disorientation” to be understandably cited as a reason for a lack of success in major tournaments. The most significant obstacle, however, was learning to play the game as if you didn’t give a damn about the result. As though you were playing a game of pool against a mate, trying your absolute best, but the result wouldn’t matter for more than 10 seconds afterwards.

If it is true that imitation is the greatest form of flattery then England should, indeed, be flattered that many aspects of their revolutionary approach to all three formats of the international game are now being copied. And not just by SA. The Proteas practised before the T20 double-header to a soundtrack of loud music in the nets at Centurion.

It was a wonderful departure from the formality of training that preceded it for 25 years. Or 100 years. Just as Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have transformed the England’s team approach to Test cricket, SA’s recent preparation is without local precedent. Like England’s training sessions, there was music. Unlike England’s largely rock-ballad selection, the music at the Proteas’ nets was deliciously eclectic reflecting every mood, culture and vibe in the squad. It sounded like each player chose a tune, in turn, and it worked.

England’s director of cricket, Rob Key, made a fascinating and brave comment recently soon after Stokes’ team had lost a thrilling Test match to New Zealand by just a single run. “Somewhere along the line we have become too fixated with winning.” He knew it would attract the ire of some supporters and it duly did.

He barely needed to explain that he wasn’t advocating a less committed approach to winning, just a less downcast view of losing. Professional sport is, after all, in the entertainment business and significant comfort can, and should be taken in defeat if that objective has been achieved.

Many a seasoned observer of SA cricket has noted admiringly the white-knuckled intensity they bring to international competition, and how often it may have contributed to their downfall at critical times. New coach Rob Walter clearly encouraged the players to have more “fun”. His challenge will be keeping up that attitude in India in October, assuming his team beat the Netherlands on Friday and Sunday and qualify for the World Cup.

One interesting side-effect of the ICC’s decision to allocate official T20 status to all of its 100+ Affiliate member nations is the list of records that appear after a game like Sunday’s. The highest previous successful run-chase, 246/4, for example, was achieved by Bulgaria against Serbia in 2022.

Quinton de Kock reached his 50 from just 15 balls, tying the achievement of Faisal Khan for Saudi Arabia against Kuwait but three slower than Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball effort for India against England at Kingsmead in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Stuart Broad conceded 36 of those runs in a single over. Requiring just one more delivery, 13, was Austria’s Mirza Ahsan against Luxembourg while New Zealand’s hardhitting Colin Munro walloped 50 from just 14 balls against Sri Lanka as did Ramesh Satheesan for Romania against Serbia.

Just one of the 13 bowlers used on Sunday conceded less than 10 runs per over Kagiso Rabada conceded 39 runs from his four overs. Sisanda Magala was just a single away from equalling Kyle Abbott’s SA record of 68 runs conceded from four overs but he can be consoled by the bowlers having conceded 60+ runs from their four overs no fewer than 46 tims. Apart from the major nations, they have taken their punishment representing Turkey, Argentina, Malaysia, Bahrain, Lesotho, Eswatini, Germany and the Isle of Man.

There was a lot of juggling of players in the West Indies series with Test and white-ball coaches, Shukri Conrad and Walter, saying they would like to “broaden the base” of international players. Since the start of 2021 SA have used 29 players in Tests, 33 in ODIs and 32 in T20 Internationals. Many played in more than one format but, in total, 55 different players have represented the Proteas. It may be time for narrowing the base, not broadening it.