High pitch: Proteas make most of Trinidad conditions to enter final

AFTER seven attempts and various hues of failures heartbreaks, nonsensical rainrules, meltdowns and beatdowns each adding another catalogue to their list of downfalls the South African men's side finally broke down the poisoned chalice to their liking.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

On a surface with more cracks than on a dodgy part of the moon, their bowlers scythed through the Afghanistan batters, shooting them out for 56 in 11.5 overs. In response, Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram were measured before the last two scoring shots from the former a six and a four rubber-stumped their total dominance. Those two scoring shots also generally flew in the face of what an even strip this was. You had to be really lucky to not be dismissed as the ball played various tricks after pitching. One ball would scoot along. Another, after finding a similar length on the deck, jumped up like an agitated cobra. The pacier and taller Proteas bowlers exploited the conditions perfectly to advance to their first men's World Cup final across formats.

So, one would have normally expected them to carve out a small strip of land from the Brian Lara Stadium at Tarouba for keepsake. It would have been normal human reaction; after 32 years, relief.