Friday sees the Durban Heat’s swansong at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in the 2018 Mzansi Super League, and the team will look to put in a complete T20 performance when they take on the Jozi Stars.
It has been a disappointing tournament to date for the strong Durban Heat. With their clash with the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants raining out on Wednesday, they want to give their home fans a strong performance in this last home match of the campaign.
With one more home game to go, Durban Heat batsman David Miller is confident that his side can put together a strong showing for the faithful supporters that have been with the team throughout the campaign.
‘Look, we have been a long way off the mark the whole competition,’ the explosive left-hander said.
‘We haven’t fired in a lot of areas and we can’t really find an explanation for it. It is definitely not through a lack of effort or lack of preparation or not putting in the yards at practice. We have all been pulling our weight, but it’s been hugely disappointing so far for us.
‘We want to play with a lot of pride over the next three games and finish with four wins out of our ten matches in the competition.’
With an outside chance of getting into the play-offs, the Heat will have to win their next three games handsomely to keep their semi-final hopes alive, and for Miller focusing on the job at hand is going to be the main objective.
‘We just need to win our next three games,’ he added.
‘Whatever that does to the table isn’t anything that we are concerned about and we are just hoping for a full forty overs this Friday.’
The Stars beat the Heat in their first clash at the Wanderers, with Reeza Hendricks scoring a hundred in that encounter. Coming to the coast could prove to be a different story for the Highveld side who boast stars such as Chris Gayle and Kagiso Rabada.
‘They seem to be a side that is starting to peak at the right time, which is a good sign for them but we are going to regroup and focus hard on Friday’s match.
‘All the teams are strong in this competition and we just want to try and play the best cricket we can on Friday and in our next two games,’ Miller stressed.
The Heat will be encouraged by how spinner and international marquee player Rashid Khan performed in his first outing in Durban Heat colours. The Afghanistan sensation bowled three overs, taking one wicket for 19 runs.
Durban Heat Fixtures
7 Dec, 14:00 – Durban Heat v Jozi Stars, Kingsmead, Durban
9 Dec, 15:30 – Cape Town Blitz v Durban Heat, Newlands, Cape Town
12 Dec, 19:00 – Tshwane Spartans v Durban Heat, SuperSport Park, Centurion
Durban Heat Squad
Hashim Amla, Rashid Khan, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Abbott, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Albie Morkel, Marchant de Lange, Vernon Philander, Brandon Mavuta, Temba Bavuma, Morné van Wyk, Okuhle Cele, Sarel Erwee, Tladi Bokako.
Photo: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images
