Why Jesse Ryder is not to blame for the defeat

With the amount of vitriol directed at Jesse Ryder following last night's shocking defeat against South Africa, you would have thought he had done everyone a great personal wrong.

I for one don't believe the he cost us the game. Pure and simple.

He was definitely one of those at fault for the loss, but that doesn't mean we lost just because of him - it's just that I believe Jesse is the easiest target because of his previous history.

And to hear someone like Craig McMillan criticism Ryder so publicly is extremely disappointing.

I will say that he definitely took way too long to go from 49 to 50, and that passage did put the rest of the team under pressure.

But those saying it is all Ryder's fault that we lost are just using him as a scapegoat.

They conveniently ignore the fact that Ryder was top scorer, and his fifty still came at better than a run-a-ball.

They say that he threw his wicket away to a bad shot. But so did Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Nathan McCullum and Doug Bracewell.

But the players who need to put their hands up and take the blame are the four - yes four - batsmen who were at the crease in the final over.

Yes, Ryder going out at that time, to the shot he played was a colossal lapse in judgment, but the target was still an easy one to chase down.

Seven runs off six balls should be a walk in a park, especially with five wickets in hand, on a small ground, and in a Twenty/20 match.

Yet we only scored three runs off the final over, and one of those was a no-ball. In fact we didn't score a single run for four balls in a row.

After Franklin took a single off the first ball, Nathan McCullum left a wide, and was then caught by the keeper. The batsmen didn't cross which left Doug Bracewell to face Marchant de Lange.

The target was still a gettable six off three. All he needed to do was get bat and ball and get Franklin down the other end.

With Franklin backing up and the keeper AB de Villiers a walking wounded, this should have been no problem. Five required off two would have still left NZ slight favourites.

Bracewell is in the side for his bowling (and he is a very good one), but that is all the more reason for him to have left it to the recognised batsman to take them home.

As it was he tried to play hero, went for two filthy heaves that didn't get us a run, but cost him his wicket.

Franklin was finally down the other end, but it was far too little, too late.

A no-ball left us four to win off the last ball. But Tim Southee couldn't do the improbable.