<p><strong>Hashim Amla points out batting as a weak link – Cricket News Update</strong></p>
<p>South African stand in skipper, Hashim Amla was concerned with the batting collapse of his team, however, hopes to put on a good show when they play the Kangaroos in the second One Day International.</p>
<p>The Proteas lost the first rain –affected ODI by 93-runs, after a good performance from Ricky Ponting, who scored a match-winning half-century, helping the team to put on a revised target of 223 runs from 29 overs.</p>
<p>In reply, the hosts faltered easily and could only manage 129. The disappointing aspect for them was their top order, which failed to play the likes of left-armer Mitchell Johnson and debutants, Patrick Cummins and Mitchell Marsh. Johnson and Cummins shared
a total of six wickets among them, extracting bounce and swing from a bowler friendly track.</p>
<p>Amla was wary of the fact and pointed out to the batting frailties as the main reason for the team’s disappointing outing against their opponents.</p>
<p>"We're just not stringing together partnerships with the bat. The last couple of games, we've had no big partnerships and that's put a lot of pressure on the middle and lower-order. That's the big thing we need to work on before the next game," Amla said.</p>
<p>It was a poor outing for the batting line-up with former skipper, Graeme Smith falling early to Doug Bollinger. A brisk partnership between Jacques Kallis and Amla followed, but that too was separated by Cummins and after that, it was easy sailing for the
Kangaroos as Johnson then cleaned up the late order to hand the team an easy win.</p>
<p>The Proteas skipper also wanted the bowlers to be more clinical, however, was satisfied with their performance and said that they are gradually finding their feet.</p>
<p>The team is still without their captain, Ab De Villiers, who will miss the remainder of the series due a broken finger. Amla, who is the interim leader, will look for a better overall performance from his contingent. </p>
<p>The next match of the series will be played on Sunday at Port Elizabeth and the hosts must emerge victorious in order to keep the three match series alive.</p>
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