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The Proteas are overwhelming underdogs for their T20 World Cup semi-final against England on Friday, but they will believe, and so will a South African cricket public that has embraced this side. Lloyd Burnard reports.
As the Proteas stood in front of a sizeable Newlands crowd to belt out the beloved South African national anthem on a perfect Tuesday Cape Town evening, they did so in the knowledge that they were about to play one of the most important matches in this side's history.
Their opponents, Bangladesh, had never won a match at the T20 World Cup, but that in no way detracted from the enormity of the task at hand.
Win, and a spot in the semi-finals was theirs. Lose, and they would be embarrassingly dumped from the competition.
Just a couple hundred meters away in the stadium's media centre, in those exact moments, England star Nat Sciver-Brunt was delivering her post-match press conference.
Her side had just crushed Pakistan by 114 runs in their final group game earlier in the day, reminding the world why they are considered the only team who can realistically challenge the mighty Australians for the trophy.
Sciver-Brunt herself bludgeoned 81* (40) as England posted a monstrous 213/5 - the highest total in T20 World Cup history - and that is the reality of what now awaits South Africa in Friday's semi-final.
The Proteas got over the line comfortably enough in the end, but they still don't look like a side capable of scoring totals - 160, 170, 180 - that will trouble the best in the world.
Still, this was a day to celebrate. The disaster of a group stage exit was avoided, and the Proteas chased down the 114 they needed for victory in 17.5 overs.
It was not always comfortable. The Bangladesh bowlers squeezed South African opener Laura Wolvaardt (66* off 56) and Tazmin Brits (50* off 51), but in the end, the result was far more important than how it came.
The Newlands crowd, festive throughout, played their part, showing just why this tournament has been so crucial for cricket in this country.
As Wolvaardt said in her post-match press conference: "I never thought I'd see a crowd like this come out to support women's cricket".
The rise of the women's game, and indeed the Proteas, has been one of cricket's success stories in recent years, and South Africans are on board for it. The fans know their players, they back them, and, on Tuesday, they lived the ups and downs of a game that was tense for the most part.
But this Proteas side is not operating anywhere near its best, and cracks are evident from top to bottom, with bat and ball.
Even in that space of inconsistency and underperformance, though, they have given themselves a chance; however slim that chance might be.
The Proteas were up for the challenge on Tuesday, wearing a visible intensity that accompanied everything they did in the early stages.
They threw themselves around in the field and bowled with purpose, and two early wickets restricted Bangladesh to just 23/2 from the powerplay and then 41/2 after 10 overs.
From there, it would take a lot for the Proteas to throw this one away, and they didn't.
By the time they were done, Bangladesh had mustered 113/6 from their 20 overs through some brave running and, ultimately, a fine scramble.
Some sloppy South African fielding helped them, and while the hosts would have been confident at the innings break, they probably should have kept the score closer to 100.
History not on SA's side
Those who have watched the Proteas at World Cups know the history. They know that, in big games, there is always the possibility of an implosion, even when all logic tells you otherwise.
One only has to cast the mind back to the men's T20 World Cup in November last year in Adelaide, where Temba Bavuma's Proteas blew out against the Netherlands when a win would have secured a semi-final spot. It was the toughest of pills to swallow, but not the first time South Africans had to take their World Cup medicine.
On this night, in this chase, there would have been those same early jitters.
South Africa were 9/0 after four overs, with Brits dropped and Wolvaardt somehow surviving a runout with the ball going to the wrong end.
Even once those two settled with a few boundaries, the required run-rate was always higher than a run a ball, and the pressure was always there.
After 10 overs, South Africa were 43/0, needing a further 71 for victory. At that point, it was a case of 'game on', and the character of this batting line-up was about to be tested.
But with wickets in hand and the two openers seeing it better and better, the tension finally began to subside, and the 6 623 at Newlands danced once more.
This was their night.
Make no mistake, England will be overwhelming favourites on Friday. They are pedigreed in all departments and, perhaps most importantly, have batters like Sciver-Brunt, who can clear the ropes with ease.
That is an element sorely missing from the South Africans presently.
Chloe Tryon remains their big-hitting finisher in the middle order, but she cannot do it alone. If South Africa are going to pull this off, they simply cannot be going at four per over at the half-way point. They will need much, much more. Wolvaardt herself acknowledges that.
She also acknowledged, however, that being such underdogs might allow the Proteas to approach their David vs Goliath knockout with more freedom.
And why not?
Nobody expects the Proteas to win this one. In a sense, they have nothing to lose.
One sure thing, though, is that they will believe, and Newlands will believe.
The South African cricket public has embraced this side and made it their own, and win or lose on Friday, that is the real triumph.
On the surface, it will take a minor miracle, but stranger things have happened.
Maybe, this one time, the magic and unpredictability of a World Cup will work in the Proteas' favour.
