Anrich Nortje, whose bowling helped South Africa win a tense match in the first World Cup game ever played in New York, believes the low-scoring contest was still entertaining. The match was played on a drop-in pitch that favored bowlers, leading to criticism that it wasn’t a good advertisement for cricket in the US.
Nortje disagrees. He highlights the strategic aspects of the game and the skill required from both bowlers and batsmen, regardless of the number of sixes hit. He points out that the close finish demonstrates the excitement that can arise even with a low score.
Nortje is enthusiastic about playing in the US and enjoys the facilities and atmosphere. He acknowledges that the pitches used are new and might change over the course of the tournament. However, he sees nothing wrong with pitches offering some assistance to bowlers, as it provides variety compared to recent batting-dominated matches.
Heinrich Klaasen, Nortje’s teammate, has a slightly different perspective. While he agrees the game was entertaining, he doesn’t believe the pitch was ideal for T20 cricket. He acknowledges the bowling performance and the difficulty batsmen faced on this surface. Klaasen also shares Nortje’s praise for the electric atmosphere in the stadium.
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