The SA20 is full of world-class international players but the Pretoria Capitals are hoping two little-known record-breakers will spring a surprise.
The Capitals raised eyebrows last year when they added Shane Dadswell and Marco Marais to their roster.
The pair of attacking right-handed batsmen are far from the most glamorous players in the competition and ply their trade in Division 2 of South Africa’s domestic cricket structure with Dadswell representing the Eastern Storm and Marais playing for the Eastern Cape Iinyathi.
While their selections came as a surprise, by the end of the SA20 pundits may be praising their shrewd business acumen as both players hold impressive records and could surprise a lot of people during the tournament.
As a 20-year-old playing for North West University in Potchefstroom, Dadswell broke the world record for the highest score in a 50-over match when he smashed 490 runs off 151 balls with an incredible 57 sixes.
Marais’ record will carry a bit more weight as it was in a professional match. He scored the fastest triple century in a first-class match when he hit 300* off 191 balls against Eastern Province while playing for Border.
While not exactly in the limelight of South African cricket, the pair clearly have talent and Capitals skipper Wayne Parnell believes they slipped through the cracks of CSA’s new domestic system.
“As the new structure played out, the contracts became limited. Unfortunately, then there are some really good players that end up missing out. The Capitals have watched these guys and identified them,” he said, according to News24.
“Whether it’s first or second division, it doesn’t really matter. In the end, there are good cricketers across the board. We have a good scouting network and determined these guys can fulfil roles for us.
“I’m personally very excited. I played against Shane last season when he was at the Lions, so I know a bit more from him than Marco, but I’ve heard a lot of good things from him too,” he said.
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Even though it might feel like Dadswell and Marais have something to prove to their teammates and everyone watching, Parnell insists there is no more pressure on them to perform than anyone else in the team.
“For us, it’s not about putting pressure on anyone, it’s allowing them to be free and come in with the same mindset that they have playing domestic and not try to be superheroes,” he said.
“I think this competition, especially for some of the local players, is going to be of a really high standard. I think it will surprise some of them, but it will also make them aware of what’s required to play at this level.”
Pretoria Capitals: Wayne Parnell (c), Anrich Nortje, Miguel Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt, Josh Little, Shaun von Berg, Cameron Delport, Will Jacks, Theunis de Bruyn, Marco Marais, Will Jacks, Jimmy Neesham, Kusal Mendis, Daryn Dupavillon, Shane Dadswell, Eathan Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy.
