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SA 'A' bowling attack taken to the cleaners again

IN THE space of less than a year, the South African “A” team has conceded two limited overs double hundreds.

The first was by Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, in August last year, belting 248 off only 150 balls at the LC de Villiers Sporting complex at the University of Pretoria as the India “A” side ransacked 433-3 in their 50-over allotment.

It is the second-highest individual List A innings after Ally Brown’’s 268 for Surrey against Glamorgan at the Oval in 2002.

On Monday, discarded Australian test batsman Phillip Hughes, an opener by trade, continued his love affair with South African bowlers, scoring Australia’’s first List A double hundred by hammering 202 not out from 151 balls at the Marrara Oval in Darwin.

While SA “A” came close against India thanks to centuries from Reeza Hendricks and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, they were blown away by Kane Richardson and Cameron Boyce as Australia “A” romped to a 148-run win.

South Africa “A” have yet to win a game in the quadrangular tournament which includes India “A” and the Australian National Performance Squad.

South Africa had three bowling survivors from those two innings, Hardus Viljoen, Beuran Hendricks and Justin Ontong, but that is not former South African Under-19 bowling coach and Titans bowling coach Mandla Mashimbiyi’’s biggest concern.

The inability of the bowlers to adapt to different conditions, especially when they do not suit South African bowlers, is the bane of Mashimbiyi’’s life.

“I’’m not very clear of what happened in Australia but the fact that it has happened for the second time in a year does seem to raise alarm bells. Statistics do give you part of the story but they do not tell the whole story,” Mashimbiyi said.

“Two guys that are similar in terms of batting styles and strengths punished the SA A bowlers but bowlers cannot hide behind conditions, even if they are playing at a time of the year where grass does not grow much and there is not much on offer for the bowlers. They are professional sportsmen and they need to be able to adapt to the conditions.”

Mashimbiyi said the fact that southpaws are having fun at the expense of South African bowlers is negligible for it happens to any cricket side but said the repetition of the massive runs-scoring against them is a concern.

If there is something that Mashimbiyi said needed to be looked at, was the balance of the attack rather than its composition.

South Africa’’s attack consisted of Viljoen, Hendricks, Ontong, Mthokozisi Shezi, Aaron Phangiso and Kagiso Rabada.

 “There is nothing wrong with the quality of the bowlers because on their day they can take batting line-ups apart but when the pressure is on, they didn’t seem to have a holding bowler whom they could turn to in terms of helping with the plugging of runs,” Mashimbiyi said.

“You have to have a Plan B and there needs to been something to fall back because from that glance that attack seems to lack balance. There’’s nothing wrong with them yes but the fact that they have travelled twice in less than a year is something that needs to be looked

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