Contentious man of the match

Nerves jangled and the various emotions experienced would have manifested in many ways in the living rooms, pubs, offices and other places at which fans watched the South Africa world T20 match against New Zealand.

It really was a game that ebbed and flowed with momentum, going from one side to the other like the swinging of a pendulum. Whether it was enjoyable or not, though, is determined for most by what the result was and, in this case, it was the Proteas who prevailed, by a whisker.

The match itself had quite a lot in it, with fabulous performances by players from both sides. At the halfway stage, all who had watched were pretty amazed at the way that JP Duminy had batted and got South Africa to a competitive score of 170 after looking very much like they were not going to get anywhere near 150. His was a fabulous display of just about every way to bat; classical and orthodox, with a touch of finesse and precision, belligerently brutal and then unorthodox and innovative.

For the longest time it has been said that Duminy is as talented as anyone else and this he surely showed with his display in Chittagong. Those who were lucky enough to have seen him burst onto the scene would not have been surprised by what they saw but some might well have been surprised. The best thing about the innings is the time at which it came, when the team was in trouble and in danger of capitulating and just about confirming their exit from yet another world tournament. That in itself pleased the left-hander no end and he expressed as much after the game.

In order to win the game, though, the Proteas bowlers had to come to the fore. After starting well, it looked that things were well in hand and before the end of the power play, as things were on track until overs five, six, seven and eight were bowled. As quickly as that, it suddenly looked impossible for New Zealand to lose. The decision to leave South Africa's master bowler, Dale Steyn, also looked like an error as the game was being won or lost with him not having an effect.

It, however, proved a master stroke by Faf du Plessis as he dramatically wrested the victory from the Kiwis against all odds. It was a sight to behold!
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Steyn, standing at the top of his mark with South Africa under pressure, is every much a situation that he thrives under. He wants to be the man and he showed that he is THE man. It was just incredible and is why sports fans are so drawn to the game.

Every single delivery is an event and as it plays out one has so much go through their mind, living every moment with the man on their side, whether that be the bowler or the batsman. While the player tries to stay in the moment and the process, the fan jumps ahead of time and back to the present many a time and in the end is a wreck because of all the nervousness.

That Dale Steyn was not the man of the match was a surprise to me and certainly many out there. It was a contentious point of discussion with my colleagues as we waded through the Chittagong traffic on our way back to the hotel, with opinion split down the middle as to who should have got it. Of course there would be one who would say that it should have been shared.

It took me back to another instance in the T20 games that South Africa played just before coming to Bangladesh where Mitchell Stark was preferred for man of the match instead of David Warner.

Is it the man who gives the team the chance to win the game by playing out of his socks and getting a score on the board (Duminy in this case) or the man who snatches victory from the jaws of defeat (Steyn)? Or is it the man who was the difference between the two sides?