Photo Credit: BCCI
MANCHESTER: Proteas speedster Anrich Nortje says South Africa want to go for “the win and the kill” when they face England in game two of their three-match One-Day International (ODI) series at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday.
The visitors were victorious in the opening fixture in Durham on Tuesday and now have the chance to seal only a second bilateral series triumph over their hosts on their shores. The last time the South Africans won an ODI series in the country was in 1998.
They are up against an England team who are the world champions and will be hurting after their heavy 62-run loss at The Riverside.
Nonetheless, Nortje feels the Proteas need to focus on their own strengths and strategies heading into the clash.
“For us it’s about doing what we do well,” he told a pre-match press conference on Thursday. “We’re not too bothered about how England goes about their thing. That’s their own sort of strategy and how they want to play.
“For us it’s about on the day, so obviously if it’s a green wicket then things might change. We’ll try and adapt as quickly as possible, but going all guns blazing might be tough.
“We will just try to adapt and to be smart. They have very good batters, so we’ll have to be on it, it doesn’t matter where we’re playing. We have to stay on our toes and do our homework.”
The South Africans had amassed a huge 333 for five in the opening fixture, before restricting the English to 271 all out.
Head coach Mark Boucher and his team only arrived in Manchester on Thursday ahead of the game and Nortje, who is playing for the first time in his career in England, said they were yet to assess conditions at the venue, although he hoped it would be more bowler friendly.
“From what I understand and what’s being said, they say it will play a little bit better than the previous venue,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a little bit more bounce…it was quite tough trying to bowl bouncers (in the last game). So hopefully there’ll be a little bit more in it and I think it will help to make it a good wicket as well for batters and bowlers.”
When South Africa were last in action on the international stage, they drew 2-2 with India on the sub-continent having taken a 2-0 lead in what was a five-match Twenty20 sequence.
Nortje believes they have learnt from that set of games, adding that they will be looking to be more clinical this time around.
“We mentioned that, the India series and that third game which was going to be like a final for us,” he concluded. “We didn’t get through it and the next one was going to be like another final and we didn’t pull through.
“So there’s definitely some learnings from that. I have to be honest and we know the team that we’re playing against has nothing to lose. They’re going to come hard at us because they also want to draw level in the series.
“We’ve only won one game now and every time we come close to that (winning a series) we want to try and pull through. We’re aware of it and want to go for the win and for the kill. We don’t want to drag it out even longer.”
All-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo was earlier on Thursday ruled out for the remainder of the series due to the concussion he sustained following an on-field collision with a team-mate.
Proteas ODI squad against England
Keshav Maharaj (captain, Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Quinton de Kock (Momentum Multiply Titans), Reeza Hendricks (Imperial Lions), Marco Jansen (Gbets Warriors), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Janneman Malan (GbetsRocks), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Andile Phehlukwayo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Dwaine Pretorius (North West Dragons), Anrich Nortje (Gbets Warriors), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Rassie van der Dussen (Imperial Lions), Lizaad Williams (Momentum Multiply Titans), Khaya Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kyle Verreynne (Six Gun Grill Western Province).
South Africa ODI Tour to England Itinerary
Warm-up matches
Tuesday, 12 July
England Lions beat South Africa by 6 wickets – Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Thursday, 14 July
England Lions lost to South Africa by 107 runs – New Road, Worcester
ODIs
Tuesday, 19 July
England lost to South Africa by 62 runs – The Riverside, Durham
Friday, 22 July
England vs South Africa – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Sunday, 24 July
England vs South Africa – Headingley Stadium, Leeds
