Faf du Plessis has admitted that South Africa will need to cut out the mistakes when they meet England in the second match of the one-day international series in Port Elizabeth tomorrow.
England made a winning start to the five-game series as they piled up 399 for nine – their record score on foreign soil – on the back of Jos Buttler’s 73-ball century.
The signs were there from the start that England were in the mood to rack up a big total after openers Jason Roy and Alex Hales crashed 68 inside the first eight overs.
Du Plessis felt as though the Proteas were complicit in allowing England their flying start, which ultimately proved crucial as the hosts fell short by 39 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis Method.
“I felt we did make a lot of mistakes,” Du Plessis said. “We gave a lot of boundaries away. We weren’t as disciplined as we’d want to be. So that is the focus for tomorrow, to try to hold the pressure a little bit longer. Our skills with the ball have to improve.
“About a quarter into the game, our bowlers started bowling a little bit better.
“It’s important in this game to try to do that from the beginning, not wake up 10 or 15 overs into it and then try to put those things into place.”
South Africa’s attack is set to be bolstered at St George’s Park with Kyle Abbott fit again while Kagiso Rabada is in line to return after being rested in the opener.
Du Plessis confirmed also that a sense of putting things right after defeat in Bloemfontein would also spur his side on.
“We were pretty disappointed with how we bowled and fielded,” he added.
“We can take a lot of confidence from a batting side of things – but we were pretty disappointed to go 1-0 down, and now the pressure is on us.”
Source: ECB