South Africa Women opening batter says Super Overs should only be used to decide T20s
Super Overs should not be used to decide ODIs, according to South African opening batter Lizelle Lee. Speaking after South Africa lost the final ODI and the chance to seal a series sweep, in the Super Over, Lee said 12 balls are not enough to decide a game that is made up of 600, but was sufficient for use as a decider in T20s.
“It’s definitely something that shouldn’t be in an ODI,” Lee said. “You can’t just have six balls (on each side); that’s not going to define what’s happened in an ODI. I totally disagree with it. I don’t think it should have happened. T20 is something where it can happen because on the day, anything can happen. With T20s, if you play a bad game you lose, if you play a good game, you win. ODIs are more about skill, you have to adapt to the conditions, it’s longer periods of batting and longer periods of bowling. I don’t think ODIs should have a Super Over. I totally disagree with it but it happened and it is what it is.”
The Super Over between West Indies and South Africa was the first in a women’s ODI and the third overall. The only other two previous instances was the men’s World Cup final in 2019 and an ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in November 2020.
The rarity of the Super Over meant that the South African women’s team was not entirely prepared for it after scores were tied at the end of 50 overs. A team spokesperson confirmed that there was some consultation at the ground before the Super Over took place. “The team manager and officials just checked the tour MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). The team manager explained to the players that it was something that was agreed upon before the start of the series,” Koketso Gaofetoge said.
Although Lee disagrees with the concept of the Super Over, none of the team objected to it being played although that emotions were running high after the tie. South Africa thought they may have won the match on the final ball when Mignon du Preez and Sinalo Jafta attempted to scramble a single, but du Preez was run out at the non-striker’s end.
She was given out by the on-field umpire and the absence of a TV umpire meant that South Africa could not query the decision. Replays showed it was a tight call, too close for Lee to call. “That’s the sort of thing that is going to get you sometimes because there’s no third umpire or anything like that, ” Lee said. “There are a few players that thought Mignon might be in but you can’t sit on the sidelines and think it’s in or out so that’s just something you have to deal with. At the end of the day, we won 4-1, so we are very happy with the result.”
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent
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