South Africa crush Holland to build intensity

Proteas gradually building intensity, says J P Duminy after South Africa's win over Dutch in Mohali yesterday

South Africa crush Holland to build intensity

Proteas gradually building intensity, says J P Duminy after South Africa's win over Dutch in Mohali yesterday

Watch out for the Proteas. After crushing West Indies in Delhi last week, Graeme Smith's side took the Dutch to school here at the PCA Stadium yesterday. The 231-run win over their colonial masters firmly established that South Africa is one of the hot favourites in the 2011 World Cup. This is an outfit that has eleven World Cup debutants, and oblivious to the infamous 'chokers' tag.

Spoilt for choices, Smith went into the game without two of his most consistent bowlers in recent times ufffd Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Johan Botha. Imran Tahir has figures of 7-60 from the two wins, AB de Villiers has consecutive centuries, and Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have proved to be impossible to score off in the powerplay, while Jacques Kallis is a highly effective first-change option. Add to that, every batsman in the top six is amongst runs and the fielding, needless to say, has been electric.

"Honestly, we are just enjoying being at the World Cup. Not a lot of people back home have given us a chance, so we are just doing what we are capable of. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, just want to take one game at a time, there are tougher challenges ahead," he told MiD DAY.
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"Our next two games are against England and India, so we have to raise our game to the next level. The intensity is good, the boys are feeling good and we are being led really well. If we can win those two games, the belief in the camp will go even higher. Suddenly, everyone will start talking about us as potential World Cup winners," he said.

Normal game
Man of the Match, de Villiers, said that he didn't do anything different during his marauding knock of 136 off 98, which included four sixes and thirteen boundaries.

"I just played my normal game, there was absolutely nothing different that I did," he said. At the 20-over stage, South Africa were crawling at 87-2, reached 145-2 at the 30-over stage, before turning the heat in the last 20 overs. It was courtesy a 221-run stand between de Villiers and Amla (113).

"I am enjoying my batting at the moment. I have worked really hard to get back into this sort of form again. I didn't have a great series against India at home," added de Villiers.

Smith acknowledged he has the most balanced side of the World Cup. "I am blessed as a skipper to have guys like Tahir and Steyn to come and attack oppositions during the middle-overs, a period that often decides the fate of ODIs. That is the most important period and we have a terrific bowling attack," he said.

"We have genuine fast bowlers and a wrist spinner who can clean up tails. We are going to face different challenges in the next few days ufffd England and India are tough oppositions. We need to be a step ahead. If we can control situations, we can keep attacking with our bowlers," added Smith.

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