The plan was simple.
The Proteas win the toss - done.
Restrict the Netherlands to a small total - done.
Chase it down quickly to boost South Africa's run-rate without any worries - not so much.
After keeping the Dutch to 103/9 in their 20 overs in their T20 World Cup clash in New York Aiden Markram's side would have felt like the A Team (Love it when a plan comes together - Hannibal Smith) but instead had to dig deep after being 0/1, 3/1, 3/3 and 12/4 in their chase on Saturday morning (US time), Saturday evening (SA time).
Tristan Stubbs and, the hero of the day, David Miller were at the crease a lot earlier than they, or the planners, would have liked after Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Markram and Heinrich Klaasen came and went quickly due to some tight bowling, good catching and terrible communication.
The two big hitters buckled down and dragged South Africa over the line to make it two wins from two in the Big Apple but damn did they have to sweat to get their side over the line.
The bowlers must have been throwing their toys in the changeroom after all their hard work was being undone by the master blasters with the bat.
Ottneil Baartman was the star for the Proteas with the ball with 4/11 while Anrich Nortje (2/19) and Marco Jansen (2/20) were also exceptional.
They used their pace and the bounce in the pitch to perfection and had the Dutch on the backfoot from the first ball.
Keshav Maharaj (0/24) kept it tight without being that threatening but Kagiso Rabada (0/27) looked a little out of sorts as he struggled once again, a big worry going forward in the tournament.
If KG bowls like that against a good team, he's going to travel ... far.
Miller and Stubbs ran their butts off as the slow outfield meant that not many balls were making it to the boundary but as they continued to work the ball around the sting was taken out of the Dutch attack.
With the momentum slowly turning back South Africa's way Stubbs and Miller showed their class as they took their side to victory, a victory that seemed certain on paper after their dominant performance against Sri Lanka on Monday.
Stubbs was out for 33 (37 balls) while Miller ended 59 not out (51 balls) as they won by four wickets with seven balls to spare, keeping their World Cup dream alive.
Jansen scored three off five despite a painful blow to his hip (no fat on that man to cushion the blow) before getting bowled.
So it was left to Maharaj (zero off one) to help Miller get his country over the line, not that Miller needed much help at that point, his eye was well and truly in.
For the Green and Gold fans in the stadium and those back in the Rainbow Nation it was another day of watching their team put themselves deep in a hole only to dig themselves out with grit and determination, a true South African trait.
Maybe being favourites in a game or tournament has been the problem for the Proteas at World Cups all along ... They need to be under pressure and written off to show their true colours.
If that is the case, it's going to be a(nother) stressful World Cup for their fans, hopefully with a celebration rather than heartache at the end as the goal remains the same.
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