South Africa retain the choking label

South Africa made a real mess of the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka by throwing away a winning position and a place in the final. Having the game in their hands with 13 overs to go they ended up losing, against India, by 10 runs.

After a lightning start from India the South African bowlers did an excellent job of restricting the Indians to 261 in their 50 overs. At stages of the Indian innings it looked as if they were going to amass a score of close to 300.

Debutante Robin Peterson, 10-0-47-0, and veteran Lance Klusener, 10-0-40-1, put a stop to the flow of runs, and an excellent three wicket final spell from Shaun Pollock did the trick towards the end. A much-improved bowling performance supported by a superb fielding display showed the keys of a professional team.

Herschelle Gibbs set the tone to the South Africans innings. Ably supported by Jacques Kallis, the two set a new second wicket partnership for South Africa against India taking the score to 192/1 before Gibbs had to retire hurt from exhaustion due to the hot and humid conditions in Colombo. Gibbs scored his second century, 116 in 119 balls, in two games.

With nine wickets in hand and 70 runs to score in 13 overs the game was all but over. The script had been written and the South Africans seemed to accept it too easily that they had made it to the final.

The Indians however did not. The quick exit of Jonty Rhodes, Boeta Dippenaar and Mark Boucher spelled doom for South Africa; they had collapsed to 214/4 in a matter of seven overs, while adding just 26 runs. The result of all that was the run rate spiralled up to eight runs an over.

Once Gibbs left the field, Kallis was presented with the ideal opportunity to take over the reins and ensure South Africa play in the final. A task he was either too tired to do, or unwilling to accept. During the period of the final 12 overs (72 balls) Kallis only faced 35 balls in which he scored 33 runs, including a six off his second last ball in the final over. Why it had to come down to the last over with six wickets in hand is something only the South Africans will know.

Was it a case of "Leave it to Lance, he always pulls us through" or is it that the South Africans just do not, or are incapable of learning any lessons from previous encounters? By now they should have known that Klusener seems to have lost the ability to bring the South Africans back into the game.

A week ago, against West Indies, they found themselves in a similar position. A match that they should have won with a lot to spare was eventually won when the cricket Gods smiled on them. A wide off the last ball managed to give them an undeserving victory. Nothing seems to have been learnt from that match.

After a loss against Sri Lanka in Morocco, and India in Sri Lanka, the South Africans get a chance to redeem themselves in the home series' against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan before they head into the World Cup.

It will be prudent to remember that South Africa was rated number two in the world a year ago. For a team looking to win the World Cup in their own backyard, some tough choices will have to be made to realise their true potential. As the case always is, it is that tiny step forward in the right direction, which is going to make all the difference.