The Springboks chased down the 182 set by the Proteas with the utmost of ease in what was a great day of sporting action at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Friday.

Although it can’t ever be seen as a real contest, the entertainment value of having the Springboks and Proteas showcasing their cricketing skills against fellow countrymen, while still remembering the legacy that Nelson Mandela has left behind, is without a doubt worth the entrance fee.

Considering the celebratory nature of the encounter, and of course the lack of cricket practice for the Springboks, we saw plenty of leniency within the rules for the Springbok bowlers. Each side was allowed more than 11 players, and the batting order from the Proteas was unorthodox to say the least. All-Rounders Ryan McLaren and Robin Peterson were seen making their stride to the crease after the likes of tail-enders Aaron Phangiso and Kagiso Rabada.

The fun nature of the event, saw the batsmen play an exciting brand of cricket, as the Proteas managed a score of 181/10 in their 20 overs, thanks to a combined team effort with almost all the batsmen contributing to the score. None more so though than Hashim Amla who ended on an unbeaten 40 ball half-century.

The Springbok attack featured no less than a dozen bowlers with centre Damian de Allende and fullback Willie le Roux the pick of the bunch. The pair took 6 key wickets between them, while le Roux also held a great catch to remove Rabada.

With the Springboks chasing 9 to the over from the get go, openers Victor Matfield and Tiaan Liebenberg went on an all-out attack as the pair were going at over 10 runs to the over when Liebenberg did eventually fall with the score on 53.

The wicket though did not change the attacking mindset of the Springboks as all their batsmen continued to strike at no less than a run a ball. With Matfield continuing to dominate the Proteas bowlers, he had put the Springboks into a winning position when he eventually did depart for a 44 ball 62.

The job was then left to Jan Serfontein and Willem Alberts to get the Springboks over the line, and the pair duly obliged, as Alberts smashed 24 off just 7 balls to see the Springboks over the line with 7 balls to spare.

Earlier, the Proteas limped to an unflattering final score of 181.

The Twenty20 fixture, which respectfully marked the anniversary of the death of the former South African president and cherished a patriotic legacy, saw rugby and cricket fans alike unite at a near capacity Wanderers stadium.

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