One final swing of Grant Elliot’s bat and grown men dropped to their knees.
South Africa had been knocked out of the World Cup, falling at the penultimate hurdle for a third time since making their World Cup debut in the 1992.
Big screens across the world showed just what the match meant to the Proteas. Skipper AB de Villiers was in tears, Morne Morkel looked distraught, Dale Steyn lay on the pitch in shock and Faf de Plessis was inconsolable.
But the Proteas got up. Their skipper got up and with a smile on his face, congratulated the Kiwis, conceding that the “better team won”.
This is after all, the Gentlemen’s game.
“We are sorry for losing, but we left it all out there on the field. We gave it out absolute best and as a team we have no regrets.”
-AB de Villiers, South African Captain
And if AB de Villiers had not just won enough hearts right there, the record breaking cricketer released this video apologising to the fans and thanking them for their support. But most importantly, looking ahead to the future... the legacy of this team, of these XI men who did the World proud.
“To the youngsters of South Africa, I really hope the Protea fire legacy will inspire us all, not only to be better cricketers, but also better South Africans.”
-AB de Villiers, South African Captain
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