Batsman Heino Kuhn welcomed a recall to the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants team with a Player of the Match performance in Friday’s Mzansi Super League victory over the Paarl Rocks at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.

Kuhn replaced middle-order batsman Wihan Lubbe – and struck 54 from 36 balls in a final total of 168 for nine. The Rocks were then limited to 120 all out.

‘I was eager to get out in the ground and express myself after sitting out. I tried to get singles initially and let the others bat around me. It’s how I play, I’m not as strong as some of the other guys you’ll talk to soon,’ said Kuhn.

‘It is getting a little harder as I grow older, but that’s how I score my runs. There’s a great vibe in the team and hopefully we can keep going like that.’

Defeated captain Faf du Plessis rued the Rocks’ inability to not concede a bonus point, but looked forward to bouncing back against the Durban Heat at Boland Park on Sunday.

‘I did think it was chaseable. We thought the wicket was decent. But once you lose wickets early, you’re always playing catch-up and they have good spinners in their side,’ added Du Plessis.

‘We tried to make sure we didn’t give them a bonus point. The communication to the guys was to get to 135. But they squeezed us. Back to Paarl now, a pitch where we’ve trained. But it’s a quick turnover. There is time to learn the lessons quickly.’

Photo: Gallo