Captain AB de Villiers lamented a lack of solid partnerships, as the Tshwane Spartans slipped to a 49-run defeat at the hands of the Cape Town Blitz in Friday’s key Mzansi Super League fixture at Newlands.

The Blitz amassed 180 for four on the back of fine half-centuries from wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne and Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz. The Spartans were later limited to an insufficient 131 all out, despite de Villiers’ commanding 59.

‘I had a good time out there, but credit must go to the Cape Town Blitz. They outperformed us and played the conditions better than we did. We got off to a bit of a slow start – and we didn’t put together enough good partnerships,’ said de Villiers.

‘That’s the name of the game – you need two or three good partnerships to bat around. You have to be putting the bowlers under pressure, forcing them to make mistakes. We couldn’t do enough of that.

Nawaz, who shared a century stand with Verreynne and later took one for 30 in four overs, was named Man of the Match.

‘It was a good pitch to bat on. The ball came on well. I just tried to give myself a chance with some time at the crease. The new ball was full of swing and seam, but it got easier to bat as the ball got a bit older,’ added Nawaz.

‘It was nail-biting while AB was out there. We all know he can take the game away from any opposition. We bowled well to him in the end. I also liked the way I bowled to him.’

Image: Gallo