Shukri upbeat despite SA’s record defeat

PROTEAS head coach Shukri Conrad is happy with the overall batting performance of the team in the three-match ODI series against England, despite Sunday’s record 342-run defeat in Southampton, with the series already wrapped up.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

He will be hoping that they can carry this form, and their momentum from the previous white-ball series in Australia, into the crucial T20 Internationals against the hosts in Cardiff on Wednesday, Manchester on Friday and Nottingham on Sunday.

Conrad struggled to explain the batting collapse that saw the Proteas skittled for 72 in pursuit of 414.

“I think we were definitely off (on Sunday), and against a top side like England, when youre not on top of your game you do get exposed the way we did,” he said in his post-match analysis.

“A similar thing happened in Australia where, after going 2-0 up, they got in excess of 400 as well. If we were going to be poor at something, weld rather be poor at games that aren't clutch games, without making light of a defeat that we felt was slightly embarrassing.”