Did South Africa choke?

[anil1405]

The run out was bad, probably worse than the dropped catch in the outfield but the Saffers probably saved 20 runs with excellent ground fielding in the last 10 overs alone. Was an amazing mixture of going from the sublime to the ridiculous, helped make it such a great game.

This. This is what i've been trying to say since yesterday. Proteas saved 20 odd runs on a small ground to take it that close.

No one here would talk about the dive that Steyn made with his injured leg to save two runs for Proteas in the third man regions during the latter stage of the innings. But they are ready to jump on few mistakes that they made in the field that most teams would.

Those last over run out chances that people here keep talking about aren't even chances.

 

[Shady Slim]

something important to add

theoretically if at the final over new zealand needed 40 to win and steyn bowled a waist high full toss and went for six and then went for six on all remaining balls then that would be steyn choking, it wasn't a choke regardless however to say south africa choked when there was no hint of choking in most of the team regardless (abdv runout is not a choke it is just a ****up, but since a south african did it suddenly choke)

 

[Le Mac]

Yes.

 

[Flem274*]

There seems to be a storm in the social media and everywhere, If they really choked. Some say they did, Some say they did not. The very definition of choking "is the failure of team to win a game or tournament when the team had been strongly favored to win and squandered a large lead in the late stages of the event".

Although neither happened here, SA missed two run outs which they would have done it 9/10 and a catch that they fluffed. Not to mention their bizarre selection of Philander ahead of Abott.

They did fail in their strongest suite. I personally think they choked under the pressure and failed to grab moments that mattered most. Thoughts...

The emotions took over everyone and they saw people crying on the field and don't want to twist the knife with the C word. But in reality that is what happened here.

these are **** posts

 

[Flem274*]

how ****ing ridiculous was that SA ground fielding btw? it was like they had 16 guys out there. FMD we worried about Elliott to spin and extreme pace but he did his usual gap finding thing and at the intensity he was playing at on a normal day he's striking at 150 just in knocking it around. i have never seen a team keep Elliott in check so well when he's playing an almost satirical Elliott knock with all the guides behind square and the shuffling outside off. A side outside the top four would have been staring down the barrell of Elliott 150* (100) if they were in the semi.

 

[Shri]

and then went for *** on all remaining balls

 

[Howe_zat]

I do find it really strange how the C word has become so damn taboo in a way, though. So in a sense, I agree with Shri a bit. There is this feeling that people get annoyed really quickly when the C word is used when it shouldn't. It annoys me too, but even when it's used legitimately people (from all countries) get really, really sensitive. The word touches a nerve somehow.

Anyway, I wasn't trying to be condescending. Just being honest that the thread would just get annoying quickly... because I don't think anyone who watched the game could honestly call it a choke.

Because it's armchair psychology bull**** that gives no credit to the winning team.

 

[ankitj]

Don't know if this has been said yet, but I think one thing South Africa have to do is not to let the losses hurt them so much. That's the only way they can overcome the pressure in crunch situations and big matches, and win. They should not make these games a matter of life and death the way they do. Just see how devastated AB was at post match presentation and press conference. Take a leaf from Dhoni's book.

 

[Bushranger]

Duminy running into Berhardien was a complete and utter brain fade, pure and simple. I can forgive not hearing the call of 'mine' in that Eden Park setting, but FMD know where your other fielders are. If JP genuinely didn't know Berhardien was there, then he wasn't paying nearly enough attention to the game. 9 times out of 10, Berhardien takes that easily with Duminy never getting within 15 metres of him.

The run out stuff is all pretty superfluous to the discussion IMO. If ABdV/QdK is a choker for failing to collect a poor throw and get it back onto the stumps quickly, then so are half the cricketers in the world. Everybody has done it, and it's a difficult skill to execute at the best of times, let alone in a Semi-Final context. Nothing major there. Same with QdK's underarms failing to hit the pegs. Most of them miss; it's nothing specific to RSA in World Cup semi finals.

The only way you can even remotely consider this a choke is because of Duminy running into Berhardien. Nothing else is relevant. New Zealand batted brilliantly and won that game, far more so than South Africa cracking under pressure and losing it.

Dan well said, Im with you on this one if Dumminy didnt pull a Herschel Gibbs and that catch was taken, Elliott is out and you take away the 2 runs and then the rest of the tail. PREtty much cost them the game that play right there.

 

[Debris]

This. This is what i've been trying to say since yesterday. Proteas saved 20 odd runs on a small ground to take it that close.

No one here would talk about the dive that Steyn made with his injured leg to save two runs for Proteas in the third man regions during the latter stage of the innings. But they are ready to jump on few mistakes that they made in the field that most teams would.

Those last over run out chances that people here keep talking about aren't even chances.

I have always found this a weird argument. Are you saying that NZ would not have saved those runs?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Because it's armchair psychology bull**** that gives no credit to the winning team.

Not mutually exclusive etc etc

 

[anil1405]

I have always found this a weird argument. Are you saying that NZ would not have saved those runs?

Based on yesterdays fielding displays, no.

Might not necessarily be you, but I'd like to ask a similar question to those who believe it was a choke. Don't you think NZ's missed opportunities in the field almost cost them the match? Wasn't that a fielding choke from NZ? If yes why aren't people saying NZ choked in the field?

 

[Flem274*]

i thought we choked after the kane drop. don't drop abcd

 

[OverratedSanity]

Based on yesterdays fielding displays, no.

Might not necessarily be you, but I'd like to ask a similar question to those who believe it was a choke. Don't you think NZ's missed opportunities in the field almost cost them the match? Wasn't that a fielding choke from NZ? If yes why aren't people saying NZ choked in the field?

Yeah both teams had moments of madness under pressure at various points in the game... SA's drops and runout misses, NZ droppin AB, the shambolic Guptill runout etc.... but also somehow kept themselves within striking distance through some fantastic pressure absorbing cricket (The epic Elliott-Anderson partnership which for me, won the game for NZ in the end, the Faf catch which went a million miles in the air, Morkel's amazing over to Anderson etc) and never wilted or fell apart. If anything, that constant tug of war showed how strong both teams were mentally. It was great.

 

[Flem274*]

yeah there are only two other sides who could have withstood the intensity on display last night and they play a semi tomorrow.

 

[Arachnodouche]

I'd say it was close enough to qualify as a choke. Three glaring mistakes (De Kock, De Villiers, and the collision), out of which even two converted to wickets would've won the game...they invested so much emotion and desperation into this one game in the lead-up that you have to see those goof-ups as choke

 

[Days of Grace]

Jesus, so every mistake a team/individual makes in a knockout is a "choke" now?

Lol, you just know some people would be blaming the loss on the choking South African Elliott if he didn't get us over the line yesterday.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Lol, you just know some people would be blaming the loss on the choking South African Elliott if he didn't get us over the line yesterday.

 

[anil1405]

Lol, you just know some people would be blaming the loss on the choking South African Elliott if he didn't get us over the line yesterday.

Stealing this.

 

[Debris]

Based on yesterdays fielding displays, no.

Might not necessarily be you, but I'd like to ask a similar question to those who believe it was a choke. Don't you think NZ's missed opportunities in the field almost cost them the match? Wasn't that a fielding choke from NZ? If yes why aren't people saying NZ choked in the field?

This is really not anything to do with SA and choking. I constantly hear about how a player just saved 4 runs and it is something that 80 percent of people who field in the position would have stopped. From what I can tell, if you dive you save 4 runs but it is just a regulation stop otherwise which did not save 4 runs (?).