After playing his last Proteas match in 2021, the last thing George Linde wanted to do on his return to the national team was to miss the team bus to Kingsmead.
In the end, however, his little slip-up spurred him on to perform even more for the team, as he produced a magnificent all-round display to fire the Proteas to a 11-run victory over Pakistan in the first T20 International between the two teams in Durban.
Linde reignited the South African innings towards the end with a brilliant 48 off 24 balls to propel the Proteas to an unlikely 183/9 in their 20 overs. The Western Province left-arm spinner then took career-best figures of 4/21 in his four overs to help the home team get over the line.
Linde's lifeline from the international wilderness came about after the Proteas' Test team were involved in a five-day affair against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha over the weekend, with many regulars such as ace spinner Keshav Maharaj unable to play in Durban.
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But Linde made the most of his opportunity to help the Proteas take a 1-0 lead in the series, with matches on Friday and Sunday at SuperSport Park and the Wanderers respectively to come.
"It was the perfect comeback. I was so pleased how it went today," Linde said after the match.
"I played quite a bit of cricket and have had a good season so far. I just tried to be calm at the crease, taking a deep breath and then asking myself what does the team need from me now. I'm just glad I could deliver for the team today."
Asked why he bowled so well, Linde explained the drama that played itself out with his trip to the match.
"I felt calm today for some reason ... also I missed the bus coming to the ground! So I felt I had to deliver for the team today. I had to get a police escort to the bus, which was a little embarrassing!"
The Proteas T20 side have had their fair share of pastings since making the final of the T20 World Cup earlier this year. And they were again on the backfoot early on at Kingsmead when they found themselves at 10/2 and then 28/3.
But veteran David Miller gave the innings an injection with a brilliantly played 82 off 40 balls, which included four fours and eight massive sixes. Miller and captain Heinrich Klaasen (12) put on 43 off 29 balls, before the dashing left-hander shared a 33-run stand off 16 balls with Donovan Ferreira (7).
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Miller then added another 31 runs off 16 balls with Linde before he was caught on the boundary trying to hit another short one out of the park.
Linde then got some support from teenage sensation Kwena Maphaka (12 not out), who hit a few sweet drives, before his senior partner smashed 18 - three sixes - off the last over to get the Proteas to a good total.
Maphaka, who recently finished his school exams, then came out firing with the new ball, with the speed gun clocking the kid at almost 152km/h. Ge got the big wicket of Babar Azam in his second over to leave Pakistan at 16/1.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub then shared a 40-run stand, before the latter lost his wicket to local boy Andile Similane.
But Linde would rock the Pakistan middle and lower order. He took three wickets in a vital 18th over, while conceding just two runs to swing the match in the Proteas' favour. For a brief moment he even had a hat-trick, but the umpire's on-field LBW decision was overturned on review.
Rizwan fought bravely until the end, scoring a masterful 72 off 62 balls. However, Maphaka, defending 19 in the final over, got his wicket with the second ball of the 20th over to see the South Africans home.
@JohnGoliath82