Durban’s Super Giants will look to preserve their unbeaten start to the SA20 season when they take on the winless Joburg Super Kings at Kingsmead on Monday.
The Super Giants followed up their rain-impacted opening victory over MI Cape Town with another polished performance in a high-scoring clash with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Gqeberha over the weekend.
The DSG power-packed batting unit have all come out firing from ball one, with Mathew Breetzke, JJ Smuts, Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen among the runs.
Klaasen is currently striking at an amazing 239.02 with Smuts (197.36), Pooran (182.05) and Breetzke (154.71) not far behind.
It may be an ominous sign for JSK that DSG’s superstar opener, Quinton de Kock, is due a big score.
“It’s always good to see the energy on the field from the boys, and even better to see everyone putting their hand up when the opportunity comes. This is a great way to start the tournament,” said Super Giants captain Keshav Maharaj.
HIGHLIGHTS: Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Durban’s Super Giants (SA20)
JSK, meanwhile, will be hoping for a change in fortunes.
Faf du Plessis’s team are on the board with two points after their abandoned match against the Sunrisers in Gqeberha, but ran straight into a rampant MI Cape Town opening pair of Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton at the Wanderers last Saturday.
The pair posted a record 200-run opening stand which the Super Kings could not recover from as their innings folded.
HIGHLIGHTS: Joburg Super Kings vs MI Cape Town (SA20)
JSK coach Stephen Fleming believes his team suffered from a touch of anxiety but will be ready for the match at Kingsmead.
“There was a little nervousness around the team. We were anxious to start well. We have a lot to work on, but we have a much clearer plan on how we need to shift,” Fleming said.
It is also a return to a happy hunting ground for JSK’s Donovan Ferreira. The big-hitting right-hander announced himself to the SA20 audience last season with a sparkling 82* off 40 balls and 1-28 in the corresponding fixture at Kingsmead.
Ferreira went on to make an impressive Proteas T20I debut at the same venue and is hoping for a repeat performance on Monday evening.
“My debut was against Australia at Kingsmead, and I scored 48. I obviously just try to get my team in a good position,” Ferreira said.
“SA20 is a good platform to start off the new year and to reach my full potential and try to dominate as much as possible.”
The match starts at 5:30pm.
Durban’s Super Giants squad: Keshav Maharaj (c), Noor Ahmad, Matthew Breetzke, Junior Dala, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Mayers, Wiaan Mulder, Naveen-ul-Haq Murid, Bryce Parsons, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jon-Jon Smuts, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen, Reece Topley.
Joburg Super Kings squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Moeen Ali, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Sam Cook, Leus du Plooy, Donovan Ferreira, Dayyaan Galiem, Reeza Hendricks, Ronan Herrmann, Zahir Khan, Wayne Madsen, Sibonelo Makhanya, Aaron Phangiso, Romario Shepherd, Kyle Simmonds, Imran Tahir, David Wiese, Lizaad Williams.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Sportzpics
