The Proteas have won the last three ODI’s played at the Wanderers, which were all played in pink, and will want to continue with that trend as they look to level the five-match series 2-2.
“We have got a good record here, not only in pink but in ODI’s in general at the Wanderers,” Proteas fast bowler, Kyle Abbott said on Thursday. “ We will be looking to start from scratch tomorrow and build those bases that got us to the big totals in the past and to winning those games.
It’s all a process, it doesn’t happen in one or two overs, its happens over 50. The guys will be looking to do that and hopefully we can keep up our record and put pressure on the series, which I think is building more on them than us.”
The Proteas have set up scores in excess of 300 in all the pink ODI’s, including the record-breaking performance against the West Indies last year where AB De Villiers smashed the fastest ODI century in 31 balls. The conditions this year look set to be just as conducive, and Abbott insists it will be important to assess and adapt as quickly as possible.
“It’s a very good pitch,” he said of the Wanderers. “ The pace is usually quite consistent and we have seen today there is a short side to the playing area so we will need to manage that from a bowling and batting side. The altitude is also a factor, the ball travels a lot further so there are a few things to take into consideration.”
Cricket South Africa and it’s commercial stakeholders have set their sights on raising a million rands with initiatives on the day, with all proceeds going to the The Pink Drive in support of the brilliant work the charity does around raising breast cancer awareness.
“It’s a fantastic cause,” Abbott said of the match. “It’s a great initiative that has been running for the fourth year in a row. There are some targets that have been set, we are looking to raise over a million rand tomorrow which will be fantastic.
“Most people have either been affected of have people close to them that have been affected by the disease. To go out there, to play and represent those people is quite an honour. It’s not only another ODI but something with a bigger picture of life which is amazing. Hopefully everyone can pull together tomorrow, dig deep into their pockets, and raise some money.”
Source: African News Agency (ANA)
