SA batting: After a couple of early blows, it was exceptional, they way Faf absorbed all the pressure and the rest of the batsmen chipped in, it was a really good performance. And NZ would have had a lot of problems if the game would have been a full one, their main bowlers had hardly any overs left and SA batsmen were scoring at a brisk pace, they could have got plenty of runs in the last 10 overs, 350-370 was definitely on. Rain did affect SA's batting plans.
SA bowling: As usual, Morkel and Tahir looked the most threatening, Steyn and Philander are pretty much hit or miss in ODIs, don't know why Steyn is rated so high as an ODI bowler, he is an average bowler in limited overs cricket. Plus, SA doesn't have a dependable 5th bowling option. This was their main issue right from the start of the tournament. And yes, Steyn didn't bowl badly under pressure, he gets whacked every now and then. People shouldn't say that he failed because he couldn't handle the pressure.
SA fielding: Some of the fielding errors by SA were not because they were under pressure. It had rained heavily, their fielding was excellent if you consider the condition of the outfield. They players were pretty fearless and putting their body on the line. Its difficult to field in a wet outfield. I feel other teams would have failed badly in the field in similar conditions.
I don't feel SA choked or if their players crumbled under pressure. They performed exceptionally well. And secondly, the knockout games also involve a bit of luck factor if we have two evenly matched teams.SA played like a champion team, they should be proud of the way they have performed over the years.
There are some legendary actors around who haven't got an Oscar, does it really matter? Legends don't need an approval from anyone, they are just there, right up.
WC is special, but its not a measure of a team's success.
I wish my friend Dawood could join this thread. He would written a nice poem on SA.
