T20 World Cup: So Close Yet So Far As Proteas See Another One Slip Away, Fans Gutted
- The South Africa senior men's cricket team fought bravely in the last match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup
- It was not to be as the Proteas fell short in their first-ever final, losing to India by 7 runs in a nail-biter
- Both teams went unbeaten throughout the tournament to reach the final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, Jamaica
- Proteas supporters were visibly disappointed with the result, while others took heart in the encouraging performance
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The curtain fell on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with an entertaining finale between South Africa and India at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, Jamaica, on Saturday.
And with that, it was not to be for a Proteas side desperate to shake off the monkey so often nipping at their heels on the big stage as the team again fell short of the mark.
South Africa fought bravely
The outcome — a seven-run defeat after restricting India to 176 for 7 in 20 overs — tightened SA's hold on the famous, seemingly synonymous “chokers” tag.
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However, despite ending up on the wrong side of the result again, credit should go to how close they came to finally tasting the one victory that matters most.
Even more credit should go to the determination of the players to get the side over the line.
Like India, South Africa reached the final after going unbeaten throughout the campaign, confirming its rightful place as a World Cup finalist.
And in that maiden showing, the pressure staved off from telling early, at least until the last few overs, but not before the Proteas showed a measure of promise as future champions-in-waiting.
Proteas supporters split after lost
It will likely eventually come.
So, too, said many Proteas supporters on the timeline.
Gutted by the near-miss but encouraged by the distance gone, they shared positive, uplifting reactions. However, a trove of relentless bashing was inevitable — telling of the disappointment of many.
Briefly News takes a look at the mixed reactions.
@Trolling_isart wrote:
"Well played. You won heart; we [India] won the cup."
@MjonaThato said:
"Just transform the team [to] 95 % black players, then you will win something."
@BernardMudau vowed:
"Bunch of losers who are always afraid of India. Disappointment of the year. I quit supporting them from today."
@sirkabelomasia mentioned:
"Honestly, we bottled! Yoh."
@TieOnto observed:
"Well done to our boys for giving it their all!"
@SpideyWeb offered:
"Hard luck. You people played well."
Proteas to create history with epic win against India
In related news, Briefly News reported that the predictions for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final were out, and it wasn't just the bookies making them.
A Durban sangoma tipped the Proteas' chances of winning the cricket World Cup in their favour as the team prepared to take to the park for the final.
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Source: Briefly News
