While winning the toss was a bonus, the need for his bowlers to support his theory of quick wickets in the first 10 overs of the innings did much to earn a five-wickets victory over World Cup champions Sri Lanaka in the final pool match.
It was game Arjuna Ranatunga's side needed to win to play South Africa in the final, but they were routed for 105 in 36 overs, an embarrassingly low total in such a key match for the islanders. And shortly after Jonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock saw South Africa to 106 with 23.3 overs of the game remaining, Cronje scoffed at claims Pakistan would provide little opposition in the Standard Bank final.
He brushed aside suggestions Pakistan were demoralised and already beaten with South Africa having the psychological advantage after two easy victories.
``We have already seen it during this tour and to suggest they are not going to provide much opposition is dangerous,'' he said.
He was, however, more than satisfied with South Africa's performance during the last two games and ``how the players are on top of their form'' leading to the final.
``As we have yet to see the pitch and the conditions speculation of the side is perhaps premature as there are so many other factors which need to be taken into consideration.''
What did worry Cronje was how South Africa lost five wickets while scoring the 106 needed to beat the Lankans, especially as there was no real presssure on the South African batsmen.
``We didn't bat well,'' he admitted. ``But in the last couple of years bowlers can get wickets early on, especially if you are prepared to put your back into it.''
Before he dashed on out to field in the double-wicket knock-about between South Africa and the Lankans to entertain a crowd of about 16,000, Cronje praised man of the match Roger Telemachus for the way he knocked over the first two Sri Lankan wickets to set up an easy victory. And, naturally, Telemachus was pleased as well.
``For me the next step is to earn a test cap,'' he said. ``It has been my main aim since I started playing.'' But he also acknowledged the role the other members of the South African team have played in his short ODI career. They had done much to ease his way to take the big step from provincial to international level.
Yet Sri Lanka's innings is more memorable for its synchronisation with the errant time piece above the sightscreen at the north end of the ground. It was a stop-start performance with little substance, all of which made for a lack-lustre display. They attempted to reboot the clock at least six times during the innings and by the time is was at last running smoothly Sri Lanka had managed to reach 88 for six.
Springbok Park is also known to exist in its own time zone, but you can expect anything at a venue where they dish out steak knives to vegetarians and naartjie peel litter the terrace at lunch. Then again, it could have been that being sent in to bat by Cronje affected the Sri Lankan batting psychology. Telemachus and Shaun Pollock had the ball swinging around in boomerang fashion at times.
Yet, on a pitch where all it needed was a little extra concentration the World Cup champions were too embarrassing to be true. When extras, at 19, is second top-score, the batting efforts is not worth a close examination.
No doubt Jacques Kallis and Pollock did more than the Boland bowler to attract attention. Pollock was more aggressive and three for 21 cannot be shrugged off, neither can Kalis with a top score of 39 and two for 16.
Kallis followed his innings off 79 at SuperSport Centurion with a well structured innings and reassuming his third spot in the batting order is a strong likelihood as the tour to England looms.
Bold dot: South Africa out-classed Sri Lanka in the double-wicket competition with Derek Crookes and Lanke Klusener scoring 47 to the 26 put together by Upul Chandana and Kumar Dharmasena.