Kwena Maphaka just trying to keep it 'smart and simple' for the Proteas

Kwena Maphaka may just be 19 years old but is quickly showing signs that he has a cool head on his young shoulders. 

The Proteas paceman certainly needed it after Australia came out “all guns blazing” in the Powerplay, powering to 71/4 after the first six overs in Sunday’s first T20I in Darwin.

Would the teenager blink first when thrown the ball in the seventh over? No, he would not, as he dismantled Mitch Owen’s off-stump with his fourth delivery.

On a night the Aussies, in particular the big-hitting Tim David, sent the ball searing into the stands for 13 maximums, Maphaka held his nerve to pick up a further three wickets to finish with a career-best 4/20.

“Obviously, when a team is coming out all guns blazing, there's a few more opportunities to take wickets,” Maphaka said on Monday.

“It's just about being smart and understanding what you have to do when you're faced in those situations. It depends on the wickets and the batters that you're playing against.

“Sometimes you go to a yorker, a bumper, a slower ball. It's all about reading the game and understanding what you need to do at that moment and keeping your plans as simple as possible.”

In all of Maphaka’s previous eight T20I’s he had been utilised within the Powerplay when the restrictions of only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle are being enforced.

The Proteas shifted their tactics in Darwin with captain Aiden Markram calling on the speedster when he had greater protection in the deep. 

Maphaka feels this allows him to employ a greater attacking strategy.

“It may have been a tactical ploy, but I think it's also just about giving me a little bit more freedom,” he said.

“I'm a guy that likes to take wickets in the middle and I think the team understands that. I think it was really just a tactical ploy in terms of getting wickets through the middle rather than protecting me as a player.”

The Proteas don’t have much time to dwell on Sunday’s defeat with the second match starting on Tuesday at 11:15am (SA time) at the same venue.

Maphaka feels the visitors only need to improve on the “one percenters” in their bid to keep the three-match series alive.

“We obviously fell short in the game, but there were still a lot of positives, and it's just about understanding the game a little bit better,” he said. 

“Reading into the one percenters, what Australia did that we didn't do as well, and what we can work forward to, and I think it's going to be a really good game tomorrow.”