Did South Africa choke?

[Pratters]

The ball was super wet during the last hour and a half or so. They would have probably managed the run outs had it been less wet. In any case, the rain screwed up more than any thing.

 

[Le Mac]

SA were never in a dominant position for any extended period during the chase. For 3/4 of the match NZ were ahead. The only time it looked in SA's favour was when AB was batting and just before the chase began.

Had NZ lost it would have been a mini choke as they were extremely comfortable during Anderson and Elliott's partnership.

Wrong!
SA dominated with the bat after the first 15 overs and set an imposing total. They then gave away the advantage through a combination of poor bowling and good NZ batting.

But more telling was the fact that they fluffed multiple run out and catching chances at crucial times. Elliot should have been caught twice in the last 5 overs. Chaos in the field is the only reason he survived and the only reason NZ won.

 

[hendrix]

Just awful logic.

Did NZ choke by not reviewing Faf's lbw? Or dropping ABDV? Or missing his run out? Or dropping de Kock?

Or McCullum hitting to mid-on?

Or Guptill's run out?

Mistakes happen in cricket.

 

[Le Mac]

Mistakes happen yes but at the highest level they shouldn't happen in he way they did the other day. It is laughable that you put down the chaos in the field that resulted in Elliot being dropped twice as simple mistakes. They were SA chokes plain and simple.

 

[jcas0167]

Mistakes happen yes but at the highest level they shouldn't happen in he way they did the other day. It is laughable that you put down the chaos in the field that resulted in Elliot being dropped twice as simple mistakes. They were SA chokes plain and simple.

As I said earlier, if you define a choke as making a mistake that you wouldn't normally make due to the pressure of a situation, then you could point to numerous possible chokes by both sides through the match. The collision was one possible one, although as others have said with crowd noise those things do happen. I didn't realise Elliot was dropped a second time?

 

[Le Mac]

As I said earlier, if you define a choke as making a mistake that you wouldn't normally make due to the pressure of a situation, then you could point to numerous possible chokes by both sides through the match. The collision was one possible one, although as others have said with crowd noise those things do happen. I didn't realise Elliot was dropped a second time?

Crowd noise or not the collision was a complete clanger and should not have happened. Clear choke!
Technically he wasn't dropped a second time. Chaos in the field meant that neither fielder made it to the ball in time. The guy running in could have easily made it if not for the fool running out and the confusion he caused. Another clear choke.


And yes, that's my point. Both sides did their best to lose the match. After the great start NZ should have won with a leg in the air. But they tried to throw it away.

 

[hendrix]

That's cos he wasn't, it landed perfectly between 3 fielders, the exact same thing that happened to AB.

Again. Cricket.

 

[Le Mac]

That's cos he wasn't, it landed perfectly between 3 fielders, the exact same thing that happened to AB.

Again. Cricket.

Were you even watching (clearly not)? The fielder coming in would have easily made it if the other two hadn't caused chaos by also going for it. Best that you don't comment when you don't have a clue what you're talking about. It will save you further embarrassment in the future.

 

[Bahnz]

Were you even watching (clearly not)? The fielder coming in would have easily made it if the other two hadn't caused chaos by also going for it. Best that you don't comment when you don't have a clue what you're talking about. It will save you further embarrassment in the future.

Yeah hendo, pull it together!

 

[Immenso]

Yeah Hendo. It's simple.
mistakes by losing team = choke, mistakes by winning team = choke.

In a game lasting 7 hours the only team not to choke is that which makes no mistakes.

That's why we love this game so much. Nothing like the thrill of watching great athletes petrified of making a mistake.

 

[hendrix]

Best that you don't comment when you don't have a clue what you're talking about. It will save you further embarrassment in the future.

OK.

Thanks bro.

I'm going out tonight. Can you come with me so I don't totally embarrass myself and accidentally end up sleeping with a hairy 45 year old man rather than the cute Lebanese chick I have my eye on? I'd rather not be the one choking, if you take my drift.

Cheers, bro. Means a lot.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Yeah Hendo. It's simple.
mistakes by losing team = choke, mistakes by winning team = choke.

In a game lasting 7 hours the only team not to choke is that which makes no mistakes.

That's why we love this game so much. Nothing like the thrill of watching great athletes petrified of making a mistake.

NZ fans seem up in arms against the idea of SA choking because they feel it takes something away from their team's brilliance. It doesn't! NZ were the better team, on that day and through the Cup, and are deserved finalists. But SA, who set such high standards in the field, shouldn't have been making those mistakes. ABDV and the keeper breaking the stumps had as much to do with big match nerves as anything else. Someone like Dale Steyn bowling a ridiculous length ball that Eliott hit for six smacks of a certain witlessness in the face of pressure also. If we don't agree with that, then really, nothing EVER qualifies as a choke and we can just chalk up everything to good ol' human error.

What SA have now is a self perpetuating feedback loop. Like it or not, everytime they **** up, their sad history will be one of the reasons for it.

 

[Chewie]

I feel it takes away from how well SA played just as much

 

[hendrix]

Someone like Dale Steyn bowling a ridiculous length ball that Eliott hit for six smacks of a certain witlessness in the face of pressure also

Steyn's plan, in consultation with AB, was to bowl length. It worked for him against NZ in the t20 semifinal, and Elliott had already skyed one from the same shot off the same ball. Elliott's go-tos are to shuffle across and flick leg side. A yorker can end up down fine leg. He executed the plan.

It's not easy to pull a length ball at 140kph over long on. Elliott executed perfectly. As AB said, it'll probably be the best shot of his life.

 

[cnerd123]

MESSING UP DUE TO NERVES IS NOT CHOKING FFS

jesus christ.

 

[cnerd123]

How do we have 8 ****ing pages on this nonsense seriously.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Well I asked for the thread to be stopped on page 1 but Shri had a big cry. WAC.

 

[viriya]

Steyn's plan, in consultation with AB, was to bowl length. It worked for him against NZ in the t20 semifinal, and Elliott had already skyed one from the same shot off the same ball. Elliott's go-tos are to shuffle across and flick leg side. A yorker can end up down fine leg. He executed the plan.

It's not easy to pull a length ball at 140kph over long on. Elliott executed perfectly. As AB said, it'll probably be the best shot of his life.

Yea that length ball was definitely planned.. especially with Vettori jamming a boundary off a yorker earlier in that over..

Choking is a big word, especially when it comes to South Africa, and this wasn't a choke in the classic definition compared to their past.

There were parts of the game where both teams buckled under pressure though, and South Africa did so more than NZ near the end (2 run-outs, 1 catch). So I can see where people who say they choked are coming from. At the same time though, if Elliott had edged that last ball and SA won, we'd be talking about Taylor choking in a big game and how Kane is useless in knockouts now.

 

[hendrix]

Yea that length ball was definitely planned.. especially with Vettori jamming a boundary of a yorker earlier in that over..

Choking is a big word, especially when it comes to South Africa, and this wasn't a choke in the classic definition compared to their past.

There were parts of the game where both teams buckled under pressure though, and South Africa did so more than NZ near the end (2 run-outs, 1 catch). So I can see where people who say they choked are coming from. At the same time though, if Elliott had edged that last ball and SA won, we'd be talking about Taylor choking in a big game and how Kane is useless in knockouts now.

one of the best posts you've made.

 

[Arachnodouche]

How do we have 8 ****ing pages on this nonsense seriously.

Perhaps because sport psychology is a fascinating subject compared to posting a hundred useless exclamations while the game is on?