Venue: Kimberley Diamond Oval
Teams: South Africa vs England
By: Rebaone Prophy
The English were a much tougher team to beat in the final ODI, with the Proteas having to settle for a 2-1 series win.
The cricket buzz was back in town early this month, with the Kimberley Diamond oval hosting the final One Day International match between South Africa and England.
It has been five years since the city last hosted an ODI game. The final ODI was between the Proteas and Bangladesh in 2018.
This time, the city was filled with excitement and anticipation to see the Proteas battle it out with the English in our backyard.
The Proteas came into the final match leading the three-match series 2-0. In January, the Proteas won the first two games played at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
The two victories in Bloemfontein by the Proteas gained them 20 points, which improved the Super League standings of the Proteas from 59pts to 79pts.
Equally important, the two wins moved South Africa to ninth place from eleventh place, boosting their chances of automatically qualifying for the Super League hosted in India later this year.
The Super League in India will include the top eight qualifying international teams.
England, having already qualified for the Super League, went into the third and final match against the Proteas looking to avoid a whitewash which they certainly did.
Two centuries by informing captain Jos Butler (131) and Dawid Malan (118), as well as a good bowling performance by Jofra Archer (6-40), being enough to prevent the much-needed whitewash by South Africa.
The main grandstand had already sold out before last week’s Wednesday game. Some fans had made it to the cricket stadium two hours before the match started to ensure they got space on the side grandstand and grass embankments. The grass embankments also filled up rapidly.
The match started at 1 pm with the Northern Cape sun peaking as it usually does. By the looks of it, the spectators had arrived prepared with many shielding from the searing heat under parasols and gazebos which could be seen around the stadium.
The Barmy Army was also in attendance. They were very vocal throughout the game, matching the locals’ energy and “gees”.
Walking around the stadium, one could see many smiling faces and cricket fans having a good time.
Watching premium cricket was beautiful and a confirmation that the Kimberley Diamond oval can host world-class games.
Local vendors around the oval’s perimeter were making a roaring trade at their stalls. They were chuffed to be there, rendering services to the local supporters and the international travelers.
In the end, Kimberlites came out in their numbers to support the teams.
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