South Africa v England ODI Series: South Africa Player Ratings

It was a hard fought series for the home side South Africa as they came back from 0-2 down against tourists England to eventually win it by a margin of 3-2. It was a much-needed result for the Proteas after a home Test series defeat against England. Not many gave them a chance after being defeated in the first two matches, but AB de Villiers & Co. came up with their A game under that pressure. Quite a few players stood up for the home side as we take a look at the player ratings.

Hashim Amla – 7/10:

After a run of low scores, South Africa’s prolific run-scorer has been in good form for his side. He put in some good performances in the series as he accumulated a total of 196 runs from 5 matches at an average just below 40. He scored a fifty and a mighty hundred to help his side win the series. His highest individual score was of 127 which came in the 3rd ODI.

Rilee Rossouw – 2.5/10:

The left-hander was presented with 3 games as an opportunity to make an impression and he failed miserably. During the three outings in the middle, his top score was a mere 19. A tally of 33 runs in the series depicts just how badly he performed and possibly ruined his chances of selection in the future.

AB de Villiers – 7/10:

South Africa’s captain and arguably their best batsman put out some commendable performances with the bat. The most notable innings was of course in the deciding match where he scored an unbeaten 101 to chase down the target and thus securing a series victory for his team. He also scored a fifty in the series where he aggregated a total of 218 runs at an exceptional average of 72.66.

Quinton de Kock – 9/10:

This young Protea wicket-keeping batsman has been setting the cricketing stage on fire. He has been in incredible touch of late and scoring big runs seems to be a cakewalk for him. He smashed 2 tons in the 5-match series to become South Africa’s leading run-getter and the 3rd overall in the series with a total of 326 runs to his name. He averaged at a stunning 81.50 during the series. His top score was an unbeaten innings of 138 that came in the very first game of the series.

Farhan Behardien – 3/10:

Behardien was probably one of the disappointments of the series as far as the batting is concerned. Known for his clean striking down the order, he couldn’t really provide much impetus for his team in the series. His highest score was just 38 as he totaled a paltry 78 runs across 4 innings he got to bat.

Jean Paul Duminy – 4/10:

The experienced JP Duminy has been in a lean patch for quite some time now and things didn’t really kick off for him in this series either. He batted in 3 innings out of the 4 games he played and only managed 91 runs against his name. This is way below his usual standards. With a top score of 47, his form certainly remains a worry for the team.

Faf du Plessis – 6/10:

One of South Africa’s finest batsmen who has developed wonderfully of late, Faf du Plessis was seen to be below par in the series. Having managed a solitary half-century score of 55, he had a total of 168 runs to his name at a decent average of 42. He hasn’t seen much form in recent times and with the World T20 right around the corner, it will be vital for him to get back his touch.

David Wiese – 6/10:

Wiese was yet another Protea all-rounder who brought out a lot to the table with both bat and ball. He aggregated 68 runs in 3 innings with an unbeaten knock of 41 marking his best performance. It involved some good ball striking. With the ball he picked up 4 wickets while being pretty economical, going at under 6 an over. He recorded figures of 3 for 50 in the final game to help South Africa to restrict England to a manageable total.

Chris Morris – 7/10:

The strong all-rounder is known for his hard hitting and quick bowling. He showcased his all-round abilities in glimpse during the course of the series. The only time he got to bat, he won the match for South Africa with a flamboyant 62. He also picked up 4 wickets in the 3 games he played to add to his utility to the team. Though he went for a few runs, he still made an impact. His figures of 3 for 74 in the 3rd ODI stood out.

Kagiso Rabada – 9/10:

This young Protea pacer has been supremely impressive ever since his debut. No matter the format, Rabada has managed to find his groove pretty well. In the 4 games he played in the series, the youngster picked up a significant tally of 9 wickets. In this day and age of superior batsmanship, he maintained an unbelievable economy rate of 4.73. His average of 19.88 also makes a good reading. He recorded 4 for 45 as his best outing in the South African jersey during the 4th ODI.

Imran Tahir – 6/10:

The Pakistan-born leggie is known for his wicket-taking capabilities and this definitely is his X-Factor. But in his attempt to make breakthroughs he often tends to leak runs and that’s what he did in the series. Although Imran Tahir went at 6.08 runs per over, he managed to pick up 8 crucial strikes. The average of 36.50 is a bit on the higher side but goes on to suggest he wasn’t at his best. His best performance came in the 4th ODI where he picked up 3 for 46.

Kyle Abbott – 7/10:

In the absence of pro pacers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, South Africa found an apt replacement in Kyle Abbott. He lived up to the expectations as he picked up 8 wickets at a very acceptable economy rate of 5.21, making him the second highest wicket-taker after fellow teammate Rabada. His figures of 3 for 58 were his best during the series.

Morne Morkel – 4/10:

The tall experienced speedster featured in only 3 matches during the series. In the games he played, Morne Morkel couldn’t really inflict much worries for the opposition batsmen. He was quite off his standard as he only managed to take 4 wickets at a very disappointing average of 41. He has been ruled out for some time due to an injury.