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Jozi Stars defeat Cape Town Blitz by 8 wickets to win the final of the Mzansi Super League (2018)

The quality of this league can be judged by two things:

1. Rory Kleinveldt being almost 100kgs
2. Nawaz scoring runs.

Joke league.
 
shariqnoor said:
The quality of this league can be judged by two things:

1. Rory Kleinveldt being almost 100kgs
2. Nawaz scoring runs.

Joke league.
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Rory kleinveld played 4 International Tests, 10 ODI, 6 T20I. He must have shown something to selectors other than his weight to get selected for South Africa's international team. Inzamam was an overweight and still represented pakistan at international level for more than 2 decades. Rahkeem Cornwall plays in Carrabian league. Samit patel plays in PSL.

Only weight of players is no criteria to judge quality of cricket.
 
Good knock by Nawaz, Birch, Rory Kleinveldt (Regular in county) and Frylinch are regulars in franchise cricket (The elite 6 teams of FC) of SA and playing such innings in newlands is not an easy task.
 
Ferisco Adams struck twice in two balls to ruin the script for AB de Villiers and the Tshwane Spartans as the Cape Town Blitz launch the inaugural Mzansi Super League with what ended up being a comfortable 49-run victory in Cape Town on Friday night.

Chasing 181 for victory, the visitors appeared to be on course for victory on 116 for three and with the former Proteas captain motoring along on 59 at a strike-rate of close to 200.

But all-rounder Adams had De Villiers snapped up brilliantly by Anrich Nortje on the deep cover boundary for 59 off 30 balls (3 fours, 5 sixes), before cleaning up another key man Rilee Rossouw (15) next ball to knock the stuffing out of the Spartans chase.

They eventually slipped to 131 all out – a heavy loss at PPC Newlands.

Adams’ figures of three for 28 was only one part of the story, with the match initially set up by a fine fourth-wicket century stand between Mohammad Nawaz and Kyle Verreynne. The pair both struck career-best scores with Pakistan all-rounder smashing 59 off 37 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes) and rookie Verreynne clubbing 53 not out off 34 balls (6 fours, 1 six).

At the start, the Spartans won the first toss of the competition and opted to bowl first with Andrew Birch (2/39), Jeewan Mendis (1/29) and Robbie Frylinck (1/34) all striking inside the first nine overs – the latter claiming his 100th T20 wicket in his 100th match in the format.

The men to go were Dawid Malan (5), Janneman Malan (19) and Jason Smith (25) as the hosts were left under pressure on 67 for three at halfway.

Nawaz and Verreynne put on exactly 100, with George Linde adding a quick-fire 13 off four balls to end the innings with a flourish.

The Blitz made a surprise move by opening up with Dane Piedt (1/15) and he rewarded his captain for the move by getting Tony de Zorzi (4), with Gihahn Cloete (3) falling to Malusi Siboto (1/13).

It was 69/2 at halfway with a brilliant caught and bowled by George Linde (1/21) ending a 43-run stand between De Villiers and Dean Elgar (32) – the spinner parrying a firmly struck straight hit into the air and then dived forward to take a one-handed catch.

Spartans skipper De Villiers and Rossouw then put on 46, but just as the former found his gear, he was sent packing by Adams.

The latter followed and the rest fell away, bowled out in 19.3 overs, handing the Tshwane side a heavy opening loss in front of a sizeable crowd in Cape Town.
 
Still baffles me how Nawaz can score well, he bats like a no. 10 everytime in international cricket.
 
Durban Heat Media Release


All systems go for Durban Heat in MSLT20

Durban - Following Friday's opening game of the Mzansi Super League the Durban Heat's preparations are complete as they line up the Cape Town Blitz in their tournament opener on Sunday at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium.

The Capetonians beat the Tshwane Spartans in the first game of the tournament and will come to Durban with some confidence.

The Heat will be relying on the experience of the likes of Albie Morkel and Hashim Amla to guide them through their first match of the MSL T20, however the team has got quality throughout the 13 players that are available for selection.

With a strong squad to select from, despite not having Proteas stars David Miller or Heinrich Klaasen, Afghanistan wizard Rashid Khan or Zimbabwe's Brendon Mavuta, Heat coach Grant Morgan hasn't quite settled on a final eleven.

"We'll have another look at the deck on Saturday before we make the final call on our team," Morgan said.

"There will be a good balance between pace and spin in our final eleven - we have a good squad to pick from."

The team have had a solid build up since meeting last week Sunday; Morgan believes that the preparation couldn't have been better.

"We've tapered off a bit after a good week of training. We've trained well and had two strong warm up games where players got a good hit and bowl.

"We are really happy with the vibe and the togetherness of the team."

The game is going to be starting at 11am which is earlier than a traditional Sunday start. Morgan and his team don't see any issues with the change in time.

"The start time is something that is a little bit different but not too strange.

"It will be quite warm, but the boys are mainly focused on just getting the tournament started!" Morgan commented.
 
Media release

EVERYONE may have come to the Bidvest Wanderers on Saturday evening to watch West Indies superstar Chris Gayle turn out for the Jozi Stars, but it was the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants’ English international, Ben Duckett, that stole the show in the Mzansi Super League clash.

Duckett smashed 75 off only 45 balls to power the Giants to a comfortable five–wicket victory in the second match of the series, with Rudi Second and Ryan McLaren taking the Port Elizabeth side home with 12 balls to spare.

Chasing a moderate 125 to victory after the Giants spin twins, Jon-Jon Smuts and Aaron Phangiso, spun a web around the home team’s batsmen to restrict them to 124/7, Duckett took the attack to the Stars bowlers.

The left-hander was particularly severe on Australian international Dan Christian, driving the all-rounder for two massive sixes in the eighth over. The attack on Christian was crucial in the context of the chase after Beuran Hendricks had created some nervy moments in the Giants dug-out early on.

Hendricks (2/13 from four overs) swung the new ball prodigiously both ways and was rewarded with the wickets of both Giants openers, Smuts and Marco Marais, for ducks.

Duckett was, though, unperturbed at the non-striker’s end and continued on his merry way. The freedom with which the Nottinghamshire opener played was in complete contrast to the struggles of the Jozi Stars batsmen.

Gayle threatened to light up “The Bullring” when he clubbed four boundaries and a six early on for the Stars, but his cameo lasted just 19 balls when McLaren (2/22) sent down a brilliant yorker to trap him LBW for 23.

It was sweet revenge for McLaren after the all-rounder had earlier dropped the Jamaican in the first over of the match.

The Stars innings failed to gather any momentum with Standard Bank Proteas left-arm spinner Phangiso (1/20) and Smuts (3/20) bowling perfectly in tandem.

The tone was, though, set by opening bowler Junior Dala (1/19), who picked up the early wicket of Ryan Rickelton, with only Jozi Stars captain Dane Vilas fighting a lone battle to finish unbeaten on 38.

The Jozi Stars’ troubles will now be compounded with Gayle missing their next few matches due to the “Universe Boss” heading to the United Arab Emirates for the Abu Dhabi T10
 
MSL T20 seems like a poor man's premier league. Not much of a crowd, not many foreign stalwarts.
 
Most say Durban's bowling attack looks pretty impressive on paper. Albie Morkel, Philander, Marchant de Lange, Abbot and Maharaj have all played international cricket for SAF. I know they are not t20 specialists but still looks strong.
 
The Viper said:
Most say Durban's bowling attack looks pretty impressive on paper. Albie Morkel, Philander, Marchant de Lange, Abbot and Maharaj have all played international cricket for SAF. I know they are not t20 specialists but still looks strong.
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They look like a smart bowling unit and they bowl according to game plan as well
 
The standard of SAF batting is pretty sad though. Think they are going to struggle big time in a few years.
 
He has done well against the spinners here. Only batsman apart from J Malan who has shown a level of competence
 
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ASIF ALI SMASHES BLITZ TO WIN OVER HEAT

Sunday, 18 November 2018

A thrilling 33-ball 80 by Asif Ali helped the Cape Town Blitz make it two wins from two as they stunned the Durban Heat with a three-wicket victory at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday.

The Pakistan batsman destroyed the hopes of the hosts by blasting five sixes and seven fours to help reach the 158-run victory target with five balls to spare.

It was a superb effort in a disjointed chase, which had seen the visitors reduced to 83 for five at one stage, before the unknown Ali went crazy by smashing the ball all over the place to take his side to the top of the competition table.

Earlier, it was Anrich Nortje who stole the show with an outstanding four-for that restricted the home side to 157 for five after his captain, Dawid Malan, had won the toss and opted to bowl first. The fast bowler claimed all his wickets in just seven deliveries and ended with four for 32.

The Heat had progressed well to 41 for none in the sixth over, before Nortje began his work. He bowled Morne van Wyk (26), Sarel Erwee (0) and Temba Bavuma (0) in the same over, before returning to trap Hashim Amla (15) leg before wicket.

But Khaya Zondo (49 not out off 42 balls) and Albie Morkel (45 off 25 balls) then staged a recovery with a 71-run fifth-wicket partnership that helped them reach a competitive total under overcast skies on the east coast.

The Blitz reached 50 for one thanks to Janneman Malan’s 31 in what was looking an easy chase, before Keshav Maharaj struck three blows to leave them in a muddle on 78 for four. The Standard Bank Proteas spinner finished with three for 24 in his four overs, and, after his triple, Vernon Philander (1/25) got rid of Sibonelo Makhanya (2) to leave the Heat in further strife on 83 for five in the 14th over.

It looked like victory for the hosts was the only likely result at that stage, but Ali changed the course of the game with his sensational hitting.

He added 60 off 24 balls with Ferisco Adams (6), who made only one of those runs, to take the Blitz to the brink.

Malusi Siboto (6) carried his side over the line.
 
Media Release - More to come from Cape Town Blitz

The Cape Town Blitz made the perfect start to the Mzansi Super League by picking up consecutive victories on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The Blitz saw off the Tshwane Spartans by 49-runs at PPC Newlands before a blistering Asif Ali innings of 80 off 33, saw them see off Durban Heat by 3 wickets at Kingsmead. The Cape side currently tops the Mzansi Super League log.

"We spoke before the match about momentum in this competition and every team will be trying to get that as quickly as possible. Getting two wins from two matches gives us the opportunity to get that momentum early in the competition," head coach Ashwell Prince said.

"Asif Ali had one day's preparation in the nets and the way he was striking the ball and some of the targets he set himself in practice - he set himself some massive targets to achieve - I sort of knew he has the ability to hit the ball a long way. We were a long way behind and he played an unbelievable innings," he added.

Prince also had special praise for Anrich Nortje and Malusi Siboto, the latter's contributions going virtually unnoticed.

"Anrich [Nortje] was sensational today. We knew in the draft what we were looking for - we wanted someone with pace and that makes him a wicket-taking threat. When you have that pace and the batsmen get any sort of bat on it, it's going to fly to the boundary but there are a lot more positives than negatives.

"I am absolutely happy for Malusi [Siboto]. He has been outstanding in both matches. He is an experienced player who can hit the seam and can change up his pace. When you watch him train and he goes off on his own to work on specific skills, you can just see that he is a thorough professional trying to be the best he can be," Prince added.

The Cape Town Blitz' squad will now be bolstered by captain Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock and Andile Phehlukwayo joining the squad after returning home from national duty.

"There are going to be some tough selection decisions to be made but it is also exciting to have the Proteas, who are unbelievable cricketers in this format," he stated.

Despite the unbeaten start to the competition, Prince still feels there are areas that need to be improved

"It's tough to be overly critical after two good wins but we have a couple of days before the next game where myself, Faiek Davids and Paul Adams will be looking to see which areas we might need to improve," he said.
 
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Durban Heat Media Release

Durban Heat go down in nail-biter at Kingsmead

Durban – The Durban Heat's opening game of the Mzansi Super League ended in defeat as the Cape Town Blitz won a final over thriller by three wickets at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The visiting Blitz won the toss and elected to bowl first with the opening partnership of Morné van Wyk and Hashim Amla taking first strike for the hosts. The pair managed to get the Heat to 31 in the sixth over before Anrich Nortje’s third over proved damaging.

The young quick picked up the crucial wickets of Van Wyk for 26, as well as SJ Erwee and Temba Bavuma for ducks. In his next over Nortje picked up the vital wicket of Amla for 15.

Captain Albie Morkel then joined Khaya Zondo at the wicket with the score on 48 for four and the pair consolidated well in the early stages of their partnership before taking advantage of the Blitz bowling right up to the 16th over.

Morkel scored a fluent 45 from just 25 deliveries and Zondo finished 49 not out off 42 balls as their partnership of 71 went a long way in resurrecting the Heat and getting them to a defendable total of 157.

Vernon Philander’s 16 not out also boosted the Heat to their final resting place.

The Heat needed to start well with the ball but both teams didn’t quite take the initiative and after the powerplay the Blitz were 40 for the loss of one wicket. The first wicket went to Marchant de Lange, who bowled Dawid Malan for 12.

Maharaj then accounted for Kyle Verreynne and Jannaman Malan in the same over so at the end of the ninth over the Blitz were 51 for three and the Heat found themselves slightly in front.

Pakistan star Asif Ali then took the game away from the Heat as he blasted 80 runs off just 33 balls and he and Ferisco Adams put on 60 runs for the sixth wicket. Their partnership took the Blitz to 143 in the 18th over.

Ali was caught by Erwee off the bowling of Kyle Abbott and then seven runs later Adams fell to De Lange, caught by Van Wyk.

With eight runs to get Malusi Siboto and George Linde managed to get their side over the line with five balls to spare; winning the game by three wickets.

Despite the result the Durban Heat will be encouraged by how they recovered with the bat after a poor start. Captain Albie Morkel is looking at the positives going into their second clash of the tournament against the Tshwane Spartans on Wednesday.

“We came back really nicely and I thought that we were actually ahead of the game when we went into the field,” Morkel said.

“We bowled really nicely in patches and (Asif) Ali was a bit of an unknown factor for us but he played well and took the game away from us in two overs.

“You could argue that maybe there was a tactical error and we bowled the spinner for one over too many but in Prenelan’s first three overs he was in control but it was Ali’s day and he kept hitting them out the park.”

The Heat now look forward to a clash with the Tshwane Spartans on Wednesday at Kingsmead - who lost their opening match of the tournament against the Blitz on Friday. Morkel is expecting another tough encounter.

“After their first loss they will come here with a lot of energy with AB de Villiers being their key.

“If we can look after him then I believe that we have the power to come out on top,” Morkel added.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketpro.co.za and at Kingsmead Stadium.

More information can be found at www.durbanheat.co.za.

Durban Heat Fixtures:
21 Nov 14:00 Durban Heat v Tshwane Spartans Kingsmead, Durban
23 Nov 19:00 Nelson Mandela Giants v Durban Heat St George's, Port Elizabeth
28 Nov 19:00 Durban Heat v Paarl Rocks Kingsmead, Durban
30 Nov 19:00 Jozi Stars v Durban Heat Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
02 Dec 11:00 Paarl Rocks v Durban Heat Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl
05 Dec 19:00 Durban Heat v Nelson Mandela Giants Kingsmead, Durban
07 Dec 14:00 Durban Heat v Jozi Stars Kingsmead, Durban
09 Dec 15:30 Cape Town Blitz v Durban Heat PPC 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, Prenelan Subrayen
 
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SPARTANS EDGE ROCKS IN MSL CLIFF-HANGER

Sunday, 18 November 2018

An exhilarating 405 runs were scored as the Mzansi Super League produced a thrill-a-minute Game Four that saw the Tshwane Spartans edge out the Paarl Rocks by one run at Eurolux Boland Park on Sunday.

In the end it was perhaps a dropped catch by Dean Elgar that swayed the result in favour of AB de Villiers’ visiting side, whose 203 for five proved too much for the 202 for six by the host.

A six-bound strike in the final over by Patrick Kruger off Andrew Birch saw Elgar leap high on the boundary rope to try and catch it, which he failed to do, but the ball deflected off his face and body, back into the field of play changing six into two.

Those four proved to be the crucial runs that separated victory and defeat as the Spartans bounced back from Friday’s opening loss to the Cape Town Blitz with an unforgettable win.

In terms of the match, there were some amazing individual performances. A brilliant 101-run opening partnership between Gihahn Cloete and Theunis de Bruyn set the away side up for a big score. They made the most of the batting conditions after their captain, De Villiers, lost the toss and was asked to take first strike.

The pair raced along freely at 10 to the over and smashed the balls to all parts during their opening partnership, which ended when De Bruyn fell for 66 off 38 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes).

Skipper De Villiers walked in next and wowed the crowd with 32 off 18 balls in a 77-run stand with Cloete, who made a match-high 80 off 49 balls (11 fours, 1 six).

Both then fell in quick succession as the Rocks hit back at the death thanks to three for 31 by Dwayne Bravo and two for 44 from Dane Paterson.

For the home side to come close, they needed something special and Cameron Delport provided that with his 73 off 43 balls (4 fours, 5 sixes) that kept them in the chase for most of the way. They were 110 for two at one stage in the 12th over as Vaughn van Jaarsveld (22), eventually out to pick-of-the-bowlers Jeevan Mendis (2/35), did his best to keep up with the pace.

A brilliant 19th over for the Rocks, which saw Mangaliso Mosehle (20 not out) plunder two fours and a six, meant his side were favourites heading into that last over when only 13 were needed.

But Andrew Birch managed to concede 11 thanks to Elgar’s effort in the field – helping Tshwane secure a famous win.
 
Saj said:
Earlier, it was Anrich Nortje who stole the show with an outstanding four-for that restricted the home side to 157 for five after his captain, Dawid Malan, had won the toss and opted to bowl first. The fast bowler claimed all his wickets in just seven deliveries and ended with four for 32.

The Heat had progressed well to 41 for none in the sixth over, before Nortje began his work. He bowled Morne van Wyk (26), Sarel Erwee (0) and Temba Bavuma (0) in the same over, before returning to trap Hashim Amla (15) leg before wicket.
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[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] Apne isse dekha hai bowling krte ? Is he good enough to play in WC
 
Media Release:

BOTH the Paarl Rocks and Jozi Stars will be heading to Eurolux Boland Park on Tuesday evening, hoping to open their Mzansi Super League accounts.

The home crowd left Boland Park in disappointment on Sunday after their Paarl Rocks side went down by a single run in a thriller to the Tshwane Spartans, whereas the Jozi Stars fell to a five-wicket defeat to the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Bidvest Wanderers on Saturday evening.

Paarl Rocks captain Henry Davids believes his team will be better for the experience.

“There are a lot of positive things we can take from the game. It is a pity about the result. But I am fairly happy and at ease at where we are. The way we played there were a lot of positives,” Davids said.

“We know we have to execute better with the ball. I thought the batting was fairly good. It is not the end of the world, and, if we can carry on with the momentum we gained, we can only go from strength to strength.”

The Rocks will, though, have to make a couple of pivotal adjustments to their line-up. West Indies superstar Dwayne Bravo, who was influential with the ball claiming 3/31 against the Spartans, and batsman Cameron Delport have headed off to the United Arab Emirates for The Abu Dhabi T10 competition. The powerful Delport was the Rocks’ top run-scorer with a fluent 73 off 43 balls.

Equally, the Jozi Stars lose their hired-gun Chris Gayle for the next couple of matches. The big Jamaican provided a brief glimpse of his firepower with a rapid 23 at the Bullring, but he too now departs for the UAE.

Stars captain Dane Vilas believes the visitors can cope without Gayle and expects a better overall performance from his batsmen in Paarl.

“The camp is still in very good shape. We just had one poor day out and everybody is still positive. We bowled really well. The guys are pumped,” Vilas said.

“We let ourselves down with some of our decision making and obviously we didn’t put enough runs on the board, but I have full confidence in our batting line-up.”
 
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Media Release:


BOTH the Paarl Rocks and Jozi Stars will be heading to Eurolux Boland Park on Tuesday evening, hoping to open their Mzansi Super League accounts.

The home crowd left Boland Park in disappointment on Sunday after their Paarl Rocks side went down by a single run in a thriller to the Tshwane Spartans, whereas the Jozi Stars fell to a five-wicket defeat to the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Bidvest Wanderers on Saturday evening.

Paarl Rocks captain Henry Davids believes his team will be better for the experience.

“There are a lot of positive things we can take from the game. It is a pity about the result. But I am fairly happy and at ease at where we are. The way we played there were a lot of positives,” Davids said.

“We know we have to execute better with the ball. I thought the batting was fairly good. It is not the end of the world, and, if we can carry on with the momentum we gained, we can only go from strength to strength.”

The Rocks will, though, have to make a couple of pivotal adjustments to their line-up. West Indies superstar Dwayne Bravo, who was influential with the ball claiming 3/31 against the Spartans, and batsman Cameron Delport have headed off to the United Arab Emirates for The Abu Dhabi T10 competition. The powerful Delport was the Rocks’ top run-scorer with a fluent 73 off 43 balls.

Equally, the Jozi Stars lose their hired-gun Chris Gayle for the next couple of matches. The big Jamaican provided a brief glimpse of his firepower with a rapid 23 at the Bullring, but he too now departs for the UAE.

Stars captain Dane Vilas believes the visitors can cope without Gayle and expects a better overall performance from his batsmen in Paarl.

“The camp is still in very good shape. We just had one poor day out and everybody is still positive. We bowled really well. The guys are pumped,” Vilas said.

“We let ourselves down with some of our decision making and obviously we didn’t put enough runs on the board, but I have full confidence in our batting line-up.”
 
Durban Heat Media Release

Durban Heat borderline full strength for Spartans clash

Durban – After a nail-biter in their opening game of the Mzansi Super League, the Durban Heat will welcome the likes of David Miller, Heinrich Klaassen and Brandon Mavuta into the squad for their clash with the Tshwane Spartans at Kingsmead on Wednesday afternoon.

The Heat went down to the Cape Town Blitz in their opening game of the competition, however both coach Grant Morgan and captain Albie Morkel were not disappointed by their showing and know that there is a lot to be positive about.

With the likes of Proteas stars Miller and Klaasen joining the mix and the leg spinner Mavuta coming from Zimbabwe, Morgan has got a number of tough decisions to make when he puts together his strongest eleven for the clash.

Khaya Zondo and Keshav Maharaj performed well for the side in their opening game of the tournament, so the Heat’s brains trust will be more than encouraged by the introduction of their international stars to bolster an already strong squad.

“We are excited to be getting players of that sort of international quality coming into the squad and it can only be good for your team,” coach Grant Morgan said.

“We’ve taken some time in selection and will make sure that we work out all the possible options to get the best team together.

“Everyone is really excited to get out there and play our next game,” a positive Morgan mentioned.

“I’m sure it is the same for all of the teams but we have a very real and positive connection between the players in the squad,” Morgan added.

“I truly commended the guys on how they helped one another and engaged with the fans after the game on Sunday. We have got a bunch of really good cricketers but more importantly, really good human beings.”

The Spartans have won one game and lost one game in their opening two of the competition. With the likes of AB de Villiers in the ranks they have one of the best in the world and captain Morkel knows the star better than most.

“I have played a lot of cricket with him and we have got some plans to but he will carry a lot of pressure on his shoulders,” Morkel said.

“I’m not saying the rest of the team isn’t dangerous and they have some good players but he is probably the stand out.”

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketpro.co.za and at Kingsmead Stadium.

More information can be found at www.durbanheat.co.za.

Durban Heat Fixtures:
21 Nov 14:00 Durban Heat v Tshwane Spartans Kingsmead, Durban
23 Nov 19:00 Nelson Mandela Giants v Durban Heat St George's, Port Elizabeth
28 Nov 19:00 Durban Heat v Paarl Rocks Kingsmead, Durban
30 Nov 19:00 Jozi Stars v Durban Heat Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
02 Dec 11:00 Paarl Rocks v Durban Heat Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl
05 Dec 19:00 Durban Heat v Nelson Mandela Giants Kingsmead, Durban
07 Dec 14:00 Durban Heat v Jozi Stars Kingsmead, Durban
09 Dec 15:30 Cape Town Blitz v Durban Heat PPC 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.
 
MORKEL KNOWS THE AB THREAT BETTER THAN MOST

Durban Heat captain Albie Morkel is wary of the ‘AB’ threat ahead of their second Mzansi Premier League outing against the Tshwane Spartans at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.

The hosts lost their opening match of the exciting new Twenty20 competition to the Cape Town Blitz at the weekend and will be looking to now bounce back with a better showing when they face off with AB de Villiers and co.

The former Standard Bank Proteas captain has been bubbling up slowly in their two previous games with 59 off 30 balls and 32 off 18, his half-century scored in a losing cause against the Blitz.

De Villiers does look mightily impressive and appears to be on the fringes of a massive performance. Morkel admits he will be the main man for Tshwane. “He’s obviously a key player for whichever side he plays for around the world,” he said. “We certainly know that and respect that.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket with him and on the day if he’s on, there’s not much you can do. We’ve got a few plans that we’re going to try out tomorrow and if it doesn’t work out then so be it.”

Long-time team-mates for both club and country, the two have now been separated for the MSL T20.

Morkel also believes the Heat can turn the AB threat into a positive. “I think he will carry a lot of pressure on his shoulders,” he added. “I'm not saying other guys in the team are not dangerous, but he is the one guy that is the stand-out in that team.

“So we’d like to actually feed off that. We’d like to think then and let him know that if he doesn’t score runs then his team might be under pressure.”

The Heat have been bolstered by the injection of internationals David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Brandon Mavuta for the game, which will mark the introduction of the Proteas for the first time in the competition.

The Spartans, meanwhile, are set to open their doors for their big South Africa star, Lungi Ngidi. They won a thrilling game over the weekend when they edged the Paarl Rocks by one-run n a 203 vs 202 clash at Eurolux Boland Park.

“That was a serious cricket game, we saw 400 runs and it was great entertainment for everyone,” Powerade Man of the Match from that game Theunis de Bruyn said. “It went our way even though we were not as clinical as we would have wanted to, but we’ll take the win.”

Tshwane had lost their opening game, but will now be looking to build on that win in KwaZulu-Natal. “It was a massive game for us and in such a competition where games come so quickly, the win will be a big boost,” De Bruyn, who struck 66 off 38 in Paarl, concluded. “Hopefully we can carry the momentum from that game into Durban on Wednesday.”
 
Media Release:

KYLE Abbott bowled the Durban Heat to their opening Mzansi Super League victory after the rain intervened at Kingsmead on Wednesday afternoon.

Abbott claimed 4/27 to restrict the Tshwane Spartans 139/9, with the visitors only batting 19 overs due to weather disruptions. The Heat’s batsmen managed to get up to 129/6 after 16.3 overs before the heavens opened once more, forcing the players off for the final time.

That was enough to take the points with the Heat ahead of the Duckworth Lewis par-score of 120, thereby handing the home team victory by 10 runs.

It certainly was a day for the bowlers with only Tshwane Spartans opening batsman Gihahn Cloete striking the ball with any form of fluency. Cloete soared to the top of the Mzansi Super League run-scoring charts with 55 off 43 balls (7x4).

Unfortunately for the Spartans, Cloete did not have a partner to sustain the momentum. Only Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikander Raza managed 20 off 20 balls before Abbott cleaned up the Tshwane middle-order.

Even AB de Villiers failed for the first time in this tournament with the former Standard Bank Proteas captain being trapped LBW by Keshav Maharaj while attempting a reverse-sweep.

The Heat run-chase never quite raced out of the blocks with solid contributions from Hashim Amla (24), Morne van Wyk (22), Heinrich Klaasen (21) keeping the home team up with the required run-rate before a rapid 50-run partnership between Khaya Zondo (25 off 11 balls) and Albie Morkel (26 off 12 balls) for the fifth-wicket raised the tempo of the innings.

Lutho Sipamla tried valiantly for the Spartans with 3/22, but it was not enough to deny the Heat their first victory of the competition.
 
Talat really struggles to up the ante.Needs to work on his power hitting as right now he only plays T20 for Pakistan and the way he is playing it won't be long before he is dropped from the team and squad.
 
The Cape Town Blitz continued to set the pace in the Mzansi Super League after strong performances by Janneman Malan and Dale Steyn helped them make it three wins from three thanks to a 12-run Duckworth/Lewis triumph over the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants in Cape Town on Wednesday.

After winning their first two matches under the leadership of Dawid Malan, Farhaan Behardien replaced the departed Briton, but slotted in seamlessly as the hosts held off a strong challenge from the visitors at PPC Newlands.

Janneman Malan top-scored for the Blitz with 57 off 39 balls (10 fours, 1 six), while Steyn was outstanding with the ball on his way to figures of two for 21 in four overs.

In a match affected by a brief floodlight failure, the log leaders won the toss and batted first, amassing 175 for six in their 20 overs. With Dawid Malan missing at the top of the order, returning Standard Bank Proteas star Quinton de Kock – one of five debuting in the new competition – joined Janneman Malan and helped put on 41 for the first wicket, before falling to another new face, Imran Tahir (1/18), for six.

Andile Phehlukwayo (28), promoted up the order, helped Janneman Malan add 49 for the second wicket, before he fell to Chris Morris (2/32).

Asif Ali, who destroyed the Durban Heat a few days earlier, then chipped in with 22 off 11 balls, while Behardien contributed 17 as the home side set 176 for victory.

The Giants lost key openers Marco Marais (2) and Jon-Jon Smuts (8) early, both to the pace of Steyn, before Ben Duckett (23) and top-scorer Heino Kuhn (55 off 35 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) began to drag them back into the game.

Their partnership was disrupted by a brief floodlight delay just before their team could cross 50, prompting four overs to be lost and the target revised to 145. Needing to score at around 14 to the over, the pair shift gears, and after Duckett fell, Kuhn looked set to pick up the baton.

But he was unfortunately run out when Malusi Siboto deflected a Christiaan Jonker shot onto the stumps, which seemingly proved critical - prior to his dismissal the equation was reduced to 43 off 20 balls.

And with the pressure of the scoreboard building, the Giants folded to end on 132 for six for a first loss of the campaign.

Hussain Talat was the other double wicket bowler for the Blitz, with the debutant Pakistani claiming two for seven in his solo over.
 
Media Release - Humble Cape Town Blitz hit the road

The Cape Town Blitz have made a fast start to the Mzansi Super League, but now face their toughest challenge as their next four matches are away from home.

Three of those matches will be played over five days, including back-to-back matches against Jozi Stars (November 24) and Paarl Rocks (November 25), before trips to Nelson Mandela Giants (November 27) and Tshwane Spartans (December 1)

Despite being the only unbeaten side after three matches, captain Farhaan Behardien is under no illusion that the target on their backs has grown.

"We know the tournament is not won this early, but the momentum is wonderful and the other teams will be looking at us now and wanting to maybe play out of their skins to beat us. We will enjoy the start but be humble in the process," he said.

Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Andile Phehlukwayo and Hussain Tallat made a winning start to their Cape Town Blitz campaigns with a 12-run victory over the Giants at PPC Newlands on Wednesday.

The Blitz set the Giants 176-runs to win, with Man of the match Janneman Malan's 39-ball 57 setting an excellent platform at the top of the order. Dale Steyn (2/21) was in an unforgiving mood, ripping through the Giants' top order before a power failure to one of the pylons during the ninth over caused a brief halt on proceedings. Once the players returned, the Giants' revised target was 145 from 16 overs.

"The light failure affected the plan a little bit because under normal circumstances, they [Giants] would not have taken Dane [Piedt] on as much as they did in that middle over, but they had nothing to lose [at that point]," he added.

"Hussain Tallat bowled outstandingly well, picking up two crucial wickets at the back-end that swung the game our way," he stated.

The Cape Town Blitz travels to Johannesburg to face the Jozi Stars on November 24, before returning to the Western Cape for the derby against Paarl Rocks in Paarl on November 25.
 
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Quick turn-around as Durban Heat eye first away scalp

Durban – Following their first win of the Mzansi Super League on Wednesday, the Durban Heat head to St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Friday evening for a showdown with the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants.

Both sides have the same record after two games with a win and a loss to their names, however the Giants sit just about the Heat on the log in third place due to a superior run rate.

Wednesday saw the Giants go down to the Cape Town Blitz at Newlands and despite the loss, Heat captain Albie Morkel believes that they have a dangerous side – especially with the return of their international players.

“They’ve got a couple of Proteas back now including Chris Morris, and Imran Tahir, who will definitely strengthen their side,” Morkel said.

“I still think at this early stage of the tournament it is difficult to pick a [favourite] side. They are all really good on paper and we might have seen a few upsets already.”

The competition is still in its infancy and the Heat still have to navigate their way through seven more games following Friday’s showdown. As they head into the demanding schedule of the next few weeks the captain is keeping the focus narrow.

“There isn’t a trend in the competition yet and I think it’s dangerous to think too far ahead in T20 cricket so we’ll just take it game by game.

“Hopefully if our energies are right then we can go and get on a roll and win six or seven games but we aren't looking past Friday's game against the Giants."

Heat seamer and Wednesday’s Powerade Man of the Match Kyle Abbott spent a season with the Warriors in Port Elizabeth so understands the conditions. He believes that there shouldn’t be any surprises for the team when they arrive in the Friendly City.

“To be honest I don’t think that St George’s has changed much through the years,” Abbott said. “We will probably expect something a little low and slow.

“It generally is a bit slow and there is a big boundary but it’s all going to come down to the team that adapts to the conditions quickest.”

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketpro.co.za and at Kingsmead Stadium.

More information can be found at www.durbanheat.co.za.

Durban Heat Fixtures:
23 Nov 19:00 Nelson Mandela Giants v Durban Heat St George's, Port Elizabeth
28 Nov 19:00 Durban Heat v Paarl Rocks Kingsmead, Durban
30 Nov 19:00 Jozi Stars v Durban Heat Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
02 Dec 11:00 Paarl Rocks v Durban Heat Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl
05 Dec 19:00 Durban Heat v Nelson Mandela Giants Kingsmead, Durban
07 Dec 14:00 Durban Heat v Jozi Stars Kingsmead, Durban
09 Dec 15:30 Cape Town Blitz v Durban Heat PPC 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.
 
Media Release:

After opening their Mzansi Super League account with a victory over the Tshwane Spartans at Kingsmead yesterday, the Durban Heat are looking forward to taking to the road for Friday’s clash with the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants in Port Elizabeth.

The Heat and the Giants are equal on points after the St George’s Park side went down to the Cape Town Blitz by 12 runs by virtue of the Duckworth/Lewis method at PPC Newlands on Wednesday evening.

Heat captain Albie Morkel was particularly satisfied with his team’s win over the Spartans, especially after the opening defeat to the Blitz last Sunday.

“It was very satisfying to come out the way we did. I am very proud of the guys. We were slick in the field and the bowlers executed their plans. That was the most important part because you can have all the plans but if you don’t execute it means nothing,” Morkel said.

Although the Heat managed to overhaul their Spartans’ target, the Durban team’s batting unit have not hit their straps in the competition thus far. Morkel is not overly concerned with this, especially with the likes of Standard Bank Proteas Hashim Amla along with his national teammates, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, packing immense power in the Heat batting line-up.

“It is not something that I am worried about. We have a lot of experience in our batting line-up. As soon as they find their feet and rhythms, it is going to be tough for bowling units to keep us down,” Morkel said.

“Maybe we should be playing good cricket shots and not look for those funky shots. If we get a good foundation, with the middle-order we have, it can be very explosive.”

Equally, the Giants are looking to get back to winning ways after their hiccup at Newlands.

Their Standard Bank Proteas, Imran Tahir and Chris Morris, have already made an immediate impact. Tahir, in particular, was at his mercurial best at Newlands with the veteran leg-spinner finishing with 1/18 from his overs.

Tahir is certainly enjoying playing for the Giants and is keen to deliver at his new home ground on Friday evening.

“Wherever I am picked, I go and enjoy my cricket and give my best. I am really looking forward to playing more games with the boys. We look forward to every challenge ahead of us. There is a great positive vibe about the league. Talking to players, they are all excited and looking to do well,” added Tahir.
 
Media release

A solid half-century from captain Jon-Jon Smuts preceded by a strong bowling display from the home team’s new-ball bowlers powered the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants to a clinical nine-wicket victory in the Mzansi Super League clash at St George’s Park on Friday evening.

The Giants, though, just missed out on the bonus point after passing the Durban Heat’s 127/6 in the 18th over.

Smuts (62 not out off 52 balls, 6x4, 2x6) shared a 94-run opening partnership with Marco Marais in 12.5 overs that ensured the chase would be a routine one. Marais (42 off 38 balls, 5x4, 1x6) was the chief aggressor in the partnership with the 25-year-old finally showing the sort of form that had made him an overnight sensation earlier in the season during the Africa T20 Cup playing for Border.

After Marais’s dismissal, England international Ben Duckett (21 not out off 16 balls) finished the job with his skipper.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, the Durban Heat failed to recover from a poor powerplay. The Giants opening bowlers were impressive from the outset with Junior Dala (2/16) striking with the second ball of the innings before Chris Morris struck two telling blows in his first over.

Standard Bank Proteas all-rounder Morris (2/29) removed the Heat’s big-hitters, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, with successive balls to leave the visitors in all sorts of trouble at 10/3.

Hashim Amla had witnessed the carnage from the other end, but even he could not rescue the visitors after being trapped LBW for 12 by his national teammate, Imran Tahir, in the eight over.

Khaya Zondo (26), Albie Morkel (28), Vernon Philander (26) and Keshav Maharaj tried valiantly to get the Heat up to a total capable of defending, but their momentum was stalled when captain Morkel was forced to retire hurt after a freak accident out in the middle.

Morkel and Philander’s partnership was just beginning to grow when the latter struck a fierce drive off Tahir straight back. Morkel could not evade the missile coming his way with the ball striking both his arm and right-hand, which forced him to leave the field and head to hospital.

Fortunately, Morkel returned to St George’s Park, but could not take the field, leaving Zondo to lead the Heat.
 
SPARTANS BACKING HOME GROUND ADVANTAGE TO GIVE THEM THE EDGE
Saturday, 24 November 2018

TSHWANE Spartans coach Mark Boucher will hope a return to their home ground, SuperSport Park, will kick start their Mzansi Super League campaign.

Led by the irrepressible AB de Villiers, the Spartans would have been regarded as one of the pre-tournament favourites. But, after three matches, the Spartans have only recorded one victory thus far – a thrilling one-run win over the Paarl Rocks at Eurolux Boland Park.

However, all the Spartans’ matches have been on the road thus far, and it is for this reason that Boucher is looking forward to Sunday’s match against the Nelson Mandela Giants in Centurion with fresh optimism, especially as the home side have seven Multiply Titans within their squad.

“We have been up-and-down. We have had some pockets of good play and then also let ourselves down quite badly, hence us being one from three. Our bowling hasn’t been up to scratch. That is something we can look at. We did have three away games and won one, but now we are home so hopefully we can create some momentum,” Boucher said.

“It is nice to play at home and have a home crowd coming out to support us. The guys feel comfortable. They know the dressing room. But this is a different competition and they will still have to come out and perform.”

Boucher also lamented the loss of Standard Bank Proteas fast bowler, Lungi Ngidi, who was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury this week, but welcomed the hot-streak opening batsman Gihahn Cloete is currently enjoying.

“Losing Lungi was a massive blow for us. (Corbin) Bosch has come in for Lungi, but we know that Lungi is a world-class performer,” the former Proteas wicketkeeper said.

“Gihahn, though, has been great. He has batted with a lot of responsibility and been nice and aggressive. He is the leading run-scorer in the tournament. The key for me is how he stays hungry and tries to make that top position in his own. He has to roll with that momentum.”

Meanwhile, the Nelson Mandela Giants will be looking to build on their momentum after comfortably defeating the Durban Heat on Friday evening at St George’s Park.

The Giants will again be looking at their new-ball pairing of Junior Dala (2/16) and Chris Morris (2/29) to set the tone upfront. Both players also know SuperSport Park very well as they play their regular domestic cricket for the Multiply Titans.

“We know they have some great players. We have some good players too. My focus won’t really be on them. We will obviously respect them as opposition. But my focus is on our guys and getting them hitting their straps. If we hit our straps, and they hit their straps, it is going to be a very tight game. Two good teams against each other,” Boucher said.
 
de Kock taking full advantage of the thin altitude and short boundaries at the Wanderers, balls really flying away off the bat. Even Rabada is being made to look ordinary.
 
Media release

Thrilling half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan backed by a polished bowling performance from the fast bowlers paved the way for the Cape Town Blitz to make it four wins from four in the Mzansi Super League with a comfortable 62-run bonus-point victory over the Jozi Stars in Johannesburg on Saturday night.

The two openers shared in a 99-run opening stand as the visitors amassed 198 for five after being put in to bat.

Standard Bank Proteas star De Kock top-scored with a brutal 74 off 36 balls (9 fours, 5 sixes), while Malan followed his lead with 66 off 43 balls (4 fours, 4 sixes).

It was then over to the bowlers, who, led by pace duo Anrich Nortje (3/30) and Dale Steyn (2/23), shot the hosts out for 136 in 17.4 overs.

Andile Phehlukwayo followed them with two for 12, while George Linde mopped up the tail with three for 25.

It wrapped up another superb win for the Blitz, who completed the first part of a world-wind 20 hours in style.

They will now have to jet off back to Cape Town for their big derby clash with the Paarl Rocks on Sunday afternoon to try and secure a big weekend double that will undoubtedly put them in complete control of their own destiny in the competition – even at this early stage.

Once again, they were emphatic in their performance, which helped stretch their advantage at the summit to 10 points over the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants.

The platform was laid by De Kock and Malan, who plundered a competition high 70 in the six powerplay overs.

Their partnership was finally broken by Duanne Olivier – the pick of the Jozi bowlers after bagging three for 40.

The fast bowler got both of them, first sending De Kock on his way, although Farhaan Behardien (30) helped add 66 for the second wicket, before cleaning up Malan.

The home side then dragged the visitors back by only conceding 46 in the final five to give themselves hope.

However, the Blitz ensured the local side was immediately back under the pump by removing two of the top three inside eight balls.

Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen were both blown away for ducks by Nortje and Steyn, with the same pair also accounting for Ryan Rickelton (14) and Dane Vilas (29).

Phehlukwayo got Pite van Biljon (23), leaving half the home side out for 81.

There was no respite from there, and even though Dan Christian tried his best with 24, it was not enough as the Blitz continued on their merry way.
 
Sunday, 25 November 2018

A wicket apiece by Junior Dala, Sisanda Magala and Carmi le Roux in the opening 5.1 overs proved key as the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants edged the Tshwane Spartans by seven runs on the Duckworth/Lewis Method in their rain-hit Mzansi Super League encounter in Centurion on Sunday.

Chasing a modest 144 for victory, the hosts blew their chances by losing Gihahn Cloete (7), Tony de Zorzi (9) and critically AB de Villiers (1) with what turned out to be the final ball of the match to reach 35 for three when lightning stopped play.

They needed to be on 42 at that stage to get something out of the game, but instead found themselves short as they fell to a third loss in four games.

Mark Boucher’s charges will be kicking themselves, though, after they had done most things right until that final passage of the game.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, they restricted their Port Elizabeth opposition to 143 for nine after Lutho Sipamla and Jeevan Mendis shared seven wickets between them at SuperSport Park.

After a 40-run opening stand between top-scorer and Man of the Match Marco Marais, who clubbed 47 off 41 balls (5 fours, 1 six), and captain Jon-Jon Smuts (19) the visitors were pegged back regularly thanks to the two home bowlers.

Sipamla stepped up admirably in the wake of the blow to his side this week when star bowler Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the competition through injury, by grabbing three for 29, including two wickets in two balls.

Sri Lankan leg-break bowler Mendis was even better, nabbing four for 22 with his spin.

Apart from Marais, Rudi Second (26) was the only other batsmen to reach the 20s.

It left the home side a fairly gettable target to chase, but their poor start as well as the rain meant they blew it.

For the Giants, the result left them second on the table and saw them close the gap on leaders, the Cape Town Blitz, at the top of the table.
 
Fantastic Faf rocks Blitz and hands Paarl derby win


Captain Faf du Plessis struck a key half-century on his Mzansi Super League debut to help the Paarl Rocks inflict a first defeat of the campaign on runaway leaders Cape Town Blitz at Eurolux Boland Park on Sunday.

The Standard Bank Proteas skipper planted six fours in an innings of 54 off 39 balls as the hosts chased down a 141-victory target, winning by five wickets and with seven deliveries to spare.

There were also some telling performances with the ball for the Rocks with Man of the Match Bjorn Fortuin (4/15) and Dane Paterson (3/23) sharing seven wickets to stun the visitors, who were looking to make it five wins from five.

Instead, they were handed a first loss and subsequently saw their lead at the summit reduced to six points after Nelson Mandela Bay Giants won their match against Tshwane Spartans earlier in the day.

In Paarl, though, it was the home side that dominated. After losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, they looked in trouble early after the Blitz’s top three of Quinton de Kock (31), Janneman Malan (29) and Andile Phehlukwayo (24) all fired.

The visitors began well by reaching 82 for one in the 10th over, before Fortuin dismissed all three as well as captain Farhaan Behardien (4).

That left the Cape Town side on 92 for four in the 12th over and things got even tougher as Paterson’s pace sliced through the middle and lower order leaving the Blitz all out in exactly 20 overs.

Dale Steyn (2/21) then silenced the home crowd with two wickets in three balls, leaving the Rocks on three for two.

But Du Plessis and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (32) steadied the ship with a 67-run fourth wicket stand that took their side to 70.

George Linde (1/26) and Dane Piedt (1/18) then claimed the wickets of the latter as well as David Wiese (11) to threaten a twist.

But Du Plessis found a foil in Mangaliso Mosehle (28 not out) as Paarl seized a first win in their third match of the campaign.
 
The Cape Town Blitz' unbeaten run came to an end on Sunday in Paarl when they suffered a 5-wicket defeat at the hands of Paarl Rocks in the Cape Derby, however, there will be no time to dwell on the defeat.

The Cape Town Blitz now head to Port Elizabeth for their sixth match of the competition - their third in four days - to take on second-placed Nelson Mandela Bay Giants. Despite the defeat, captain Farhaan Behardien was still pleased with his side's performance at the halfway stage of their campaign.

"We will lick our wounds and put it [the result] to bed as quickly as we can. Fortunately, we have won four from five and at the halfway mark, we are happy with our performance thus far," he said.

The first Cape Derby saw the Blitz post 140 all out in their 20 overs, with Quinton de Kock top-scoring with a quick-fire 31 off just 16 balls. Dale Steyn struck early to remove Henry Davids and Aiden Markram but a 67-run fourth-wicket partnership between Paarl Rocks captain Faf du Plessis (54) and Vaughan van Jaarsveld (32) swung the momentum back to the hosts, who eventually reached the target with seven balls to spare.

This sets up an intriguing Cape Derby return leg at Newlands on Friday, December 7.

"It [the defeat] definitely makes the return match a lot more enticing. A Friday night game at Newlands is generally a good crowd, I am sure we will have some good battles for that game," he added.

Behardien made special mention of Du Plessis, who played his first Mzansi Super League match.

"Paarl Rocks definitely have a senior batter in Faf [du Plessis] - he has an experienced head on his shoulders, he showed how to bat on this particular surface and he was definitely the difference today. The partnership between him and Vaughan [van Jaarsveld] gave Faf [du Plessis] the chance to sit back a little, knock the ball around, and he held the innings together," he stated.

The Cape Town Blitz is back in action on Tuesday, November 27 at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth at 19:00. The first encounter between the teams - played at Newlands on November 21 - saw the Cape outfit claiming a 12-run victory.
 
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MORGAN FEELS HEAT’S NEXT WIN IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Tuesday, 27 November 2018

Durban Heat coach Grant Morgan insists they are not panicking ahead of their crunch Mzansi Super League showdown against the Paarl Rocks at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

The hosts have won one out of three in the competition thus far to sit in fourth place on the competition log.

They share the same record with their visitors, with the clash in Durban especially important for Morgan’s players as they have largely looked under par thus far.

However, the coach sees things differently and feels, bar the results, his star-studded squad have shown plenty of promise in this inaugural season of South Africa’s blockbuster Twenty20 competition.

Contrary to his comments, however, they are the only side to have no batsman to have reached 50, although Morgan remains optimistic about their batting and overall game.

“If you analyse things properly, you will see that we’ve been okay,” he said. “You obviously want more, but if you look at the circumstance in each game it tells a different story.

“So, I tell the Durban people and our fans, we’re not supporting any mediocrity. But if we’re going to panic after three games, when the next win in fact puts most of the teams in a similar range, I would not be worth my value as a cricket coach.

“We’ll continue striving for improvement and hopefully we’ll see a better result come Wednesday.”

The Heat have been bolstered by news that Albie Morkel’s injury suffered in the last game is not as bad as initially feared and he will be in contention to play. A late fitness test will determine whether the captain will take his place in the XI.

“He’s very bullish about his chances and, in his mind, he wants to play,” Morgan added. “We’ve seen what he gives us on and off the field, he’s back in Durban, he’s been given the green light, so we’ll make a late call on whether he plays.”

Zimbabwean spin star Brandon Mavuta is also available and could feature.

The Rocks won their first game of the season on Sunday to move off the foot of the table.

Bolstered by the return of Standard Bank Proteas captain, Faf du Plessis, who is also leading them, they stunned the Cape Town Blitz and, in the process, handed them a first loss of the campaign in their fifth match.

The national skipper hopes to now build on that showing on the east coast.

“Every team you look at on paper looks a really good side,” he said. “T20 cricket is a lot about momentum and it was really important for us to change that momentum around in the last game.

“If you look at the leaders they won four from four and they rode that wave nicely. We need to do that now, we can’t be getting too excited about the one win, we need to work hard again ahead of the next game and hopefully deliver another good performance.”
 
Durban Heat Media Release

27 Nov 2018


Morkel to undergo late fitness test ahead of Rocks clash

Durban – Following a freak blow to the hand standing at the non-striker’s end on Friday evening, Durban Heat captain Albie Morkel will undergo a late fitness test to determine his availability for the Heat’s fourth Mzansi Super League clash with the Paarl Rocks at Kingsmead on Wednesday evening.

Morkel was forced to retire in the match against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants after the blow. His retirement was a setback for the Heat who have relied on the big-hitting left-hander throughout the campaign.

“Albie is very bullish about his chances of playing on Wednesday evening,” coach Grant Morgan said. “It has been diagnosed that he has severe bruising and in his mind he wants to play but we will wait to make that call.

“We’ve seen what he has given us through his performances so far in the competition, so he is going to do everything in his power to be ready.”

The tournament card shows a win and two losses so far in the campaign, but the Durban Heat will need to bounce back against the Paarl Rocks, a team that beat the table-topping Cape Town Blitz on Sunday, if they want to make strides up the table.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj has been a vital cog in the side through the early stages of the campaign, taking some key wickets, and he believes that the side is approaching each game with the right attitude.

“The mentality of the team hasn’t changed from the start of the tournament,” Maharaj said.

“We have looked to be really positive and have trained hard so it isn’t a question of work ethic or anything like that.

“There is a good core of senior players and youth but we haven’t quite clicked on the batting front unfortunately so far.”

The Heat will be hoping that the senior batsmen in the side can stand up going into the middle period of the Mzansi Super League, and they are confident that the batting unit will begin to fire.

“We have got a lot of talented, experienced cricketers,” Heat batsman Dave Miller said.

“There are a lot of players who have international experience so there definitely isn’t any panic.

“It’s great now that in the next two weeks we have six games and if we get onto a roll then the momentum is with us.

“We know that momentum in T20 cricket is massive and we have regrouped and come into this week with fresh minds and ready to go!”

With two games against the Paarl Rocks this week, straddling a trip to Johannesburg to play the Jozi Stars on Friday, it is a busy week for the Heat who will have a better idea of where they stand in the competition after matches against all the opposition.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketpro.co.za and at Kingsmead Stadium.

More information can be found at www.durbanheat.co.za.

Durban Heat Fixtures:
28 Nov 19:00 Durban Heat v Paarl Rocks Kingsmead, Durban
30 Nov 19:00 Jozi Stars v Durban Heat Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
02 Dec 11:00 Paarl Rocks v Durban Heat Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl
05 Dec 19:00 Durban Heat v Nelson Mandela Giants Kingsmead, Durban
07 Dec 14:00 Durban Heat v Jozi Stars Kingsmead, Durban
09 Dec 15:30 Cape Town Blitz v Durban Heat PPC 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.
 
TEAM WORK HOLDS KEY TO SPARTANS TURNAROUND

Tuesday, 27 November 2018

Standard Bank Proteas batsman Theunis de Bruyn has called on the Tshwane Spartans to “play the pressure moments better” ahead of the Highveld derby against the Jozi Stars on Wednesday at SuperSport Park.

The Spartans are currently rooted to the bottom of the Mzansi Super League log with the Centurion-based team having tasted victory just once from four starts. It has not been entirely due to performance though, with their last two matches badly affected by the weather.

Both these matches against the Durban Heat and Nelson Mandela Giants were lost on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

“We have had the weather around and it hasn’t quite worked out for us nicely. I still feel the emotions are good in the changeroom, though. If the team gels in the next few days, and we can get on a roll, you never know what might happen,” De Bruyn said.

The Spartans certainly have an abundance of individual stars in their line-up to change things around. AB de Villiers is, of course, a mercurial talent while Gihahn Cloete and De Bruyn are among the top run-scorers in the competition.

De Bruyn, though, feels it needs to be more about the collective firing as a unit.

“There have been moments when the team performance hasn’t been good enough and one or two individual performances haven’t been able to carry the team. I think we need a team performance,” he said.

“We have played 80% of the game pretty well, and then all of a sudden in a 10-minute period we have lost it completely. We just have to play the pressure moments better. If we get a sniff we need to be clinical. That is something we can look to do and not be too extravagant with our plans. If we do the basics 100% right, we will win 80% of our games.”

The Jozi Stars will also be seeking to find some sort of consistency in their performances. Dane Vilas’s team have also yet to win two matches back-to-back after experiencing huge fluctuations of form in their first three matches.

After bouncing back after an opening defeat to the Nelson Mandela Giants with a bonus-point victory over the Paarl Rocks in Boland, they came crashing back to earth at the Wanderers against the Cape Town Blitz last Saturday.
 
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Asif Ali could be seen in action today, playing for Nelson Mandela Bay Giants against Cape Town Blitz.

TOSS delayed due to rain.
 
RAIN RUINS TOP OF TABLE CLASH IN PE


Tuesday, 27 November 2018

The Nelson Mandela Bay Giants and Cape Town Blitz had to settle for a share of the spoils after rain ruined their big Mzansi Super League showdown at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

The visitors had arrived in the Eastern Cape on the back of their four-match winning streak being broken by Paarl Rocks at the weekend – a crucial result that had jolted the progress of the runaway leaders.

Both the Giants and Blitz would have had high hopes of achieving a key result in PE, but instead had to settle for just two points each that did little to change the reflection of the table.

The Capetonians now move up to 20 points from six games, six ahead of the home side, who moved to 14.

Next up for the Giants is another home encounter against the Rocks on Friday, with the Blitz scheduled to travel to the Tshwane Spartans on Saturday.

Latest Mzansi Super League table:

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Media Release - Rain brings blessing in disguise, says Behardien

The Cape Town Blitz' abandoned game against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on Tuesday evening may just be a blessing in disguise after a tough away schedule.

Captain Farhaan Behardien's men were scheduled to play three matches in the space of four days, which included back-to-back matches against Jozi Stars in Johannesburg and Paarl Rocks in Paarl the following day. Tuesday evening's match at St George's Park would have been the third but the rain had the final say and the teams had to share the points.

"It's a little disappointing [to not play against the Giants] but maybe it's a blessing in disguise. We have been on a bit of a tight schedule, so the guys can rest up and be fresh for Saturday's game in Pretoria," Behardien said.

"The guys have a few days off now, we will rest up nicely and are looking forward to playing at Supersport Park, and try to keep the momentum going. Each team gets two points, and because we picked up those 2 bonus points, it effectively means we have won five out of our six games which is really good news for us," he added.

The result means the Cape Town Blitz remain on top of the table with 20 points, with the Giants occupying second place on 14 points - with a game in hand.

Despite suffering their first defeat at the hands of Paarl Rocks, Behardien stated that the Blitz' focus remains on maintaining their early momentum.

"If you end top [of the log], you get a home final - which is some reward for consistent performances over the tournament - so that's definitely top prize. We definitely want to end top, so hopefully we can keep our momentum going." he stated.

The Cape Town Blitz head to Pretoria for their seventh Mzansi Super League match against the Tshwane Spartans at Supersport Park on Saturday, December 1. The side's previously met in the opening match of the competition where the Cape Town Blitz claimed a 49-run victory.
 
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Media Release:

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Dean Elgar masterminded the Tshwane Spartans’ run-chase with an excellent half-century at SuperSport Park to lift the home team off the basement of the Mzansi Super League table.

The Standard Bank Proteas opener was particularly strong straight down the ground, collecting four sixes and five boundaries in his 52–ball innings of 79. This powered the Spartans’ past the Jozi Stars’ 186/5 and to a four-wicket victory.

Despite losing partners regularly at the other end to Stars' off-spinner Simon Harmer (2/26), Elgar remained calm and collected as he hauled in the target. A 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket in just 6.2 overs with AB de Villiers (39 off 21 balls, 2x4, 3x6) set the tempo of the Spartans innings.

But when De Villiers holed out to Ryan Rickelton on the long-off boundary off Dwaine Pretorius’ bowling, it allowed the Jozi Stars to claw themselves back into the contest.

The match was on a knife-edge heading into the last over with the Spartans requiring four runs off the final six balls. This was reduced to three runs of four balls before Zimbabwe international Sean Williams edged a Beuran Hendricks full toss to the third man boundary to get the Spartans over the line.

The Stars had earlier done very well to post a competitive total. This was primarily due to a sparkling cameo from Pite van Biljon, who muscled his way to 42 off just 13 balls.

Standard Bank Proteas opening batsman Reeza Hendricks (55 off 48 balls) had provided the early momentum with a 46-ball half-century for the Jozi Stars, but the visitors from across the Jukskei River seemed to have lost their way against the spin during the middle overs when they were reduced to 112/3 at the end of the 15th over.

Enter Van Biljon. The powerful right-hander was a man on a mission as he clubbed four sixes. He was particularly severe on Lutho Sipamla and Robbie Frylinck, taking 20 and 19 runs from their respective overs. This allowed the Stars to take 74 runs off the final overs.

Ultimately, this was not enough though to defend with the Tshwane Spartans now moving up to third position on the Mzansi Super League table.
 
THE Paarl Rocks crushed the Durban Heat by 32 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method to secure a bonus-point victory in their rain-marred Mzansi Super League encounter at Kingsmead on Wednesday evening.

With rain disrupting proceedings, the contest was reduced to nine overs per team. The Rocks had posted 98/2 in their allotted nine overs, but the target was later revised to 113. The Heat could only muster 80/6 in their nine overs.

The home side were never in the hunt after being reduced to 6/2 in the first over of the chase with Rocks left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin (2/6) continuing his good form with the double dismissal of Standard Bank Proteas duo Hashim Amla (0) and Temba Bavuma (4).

Although David Miller (22 off 11 balls) produced a bright cameo, they could not match the visitors’ earlier pyrotechnics after Heat captain Albie Morkel had inserted the Rocks.

Openers Henry Davids and Aiden Markram moved to 15/0 after two overs when the players left the field for the first time. When play resumed a short while later, the innings was reduced to 18 overs with the batting pair seemingly unperturbed by the disruptions, though, racing along to 47/0 after 5.3 overs when the play was halted yet again.

Unfortunately for the spectators that braved the conditions, the umpires were forced to halt the entertainment once more before they returned for the final time.

Realising they now only had 4.3 overs remaining in their innings, Davids went into over-drive. He motored to 46 off only 25 balls to be named Man of the Match, striking two delightful sixes over extra cover off Marchant de Lange in the process, before the fast bowler uprooted his stumps.

The damage, though, had been done already and when Markram (29 off 20 balls), captain Faf du Plessis (15 not out off 6 balls) and Mangaliso Mosehle (7 off 3 balls) continued the onslaught, the scoreboard pressure proved too much for the Heat on the night.
 
Media Release:

FAF DU PLESSIS prides himself on the Standard Bank Proteas’ ability to win away from home, and he is now keen to instil that same belief into the Paarl Rocks.

The Rocks travelled to Durban on Wednesday evening for the first time in the Mzansi Super League and came away with a bonus-point victory over the Durban Heat in a rain-curtailed nine-over slugfest.

Du Plessis and the Rocks now head to Port Elizabeth where they face the in-form Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at St George’s Park on Friday afternoon (2pm start), where they will be seeking another bonus point victory.

“T20 cricket is about finding momentum, so that’s quite important with a couple of back-to-back games coming up. But also you want to show teams that you can win away from home,” Du Plessis said. “Bonus points are very important when you play tournaments like these. As the log stands, there are obviously many teams that are on similar points. Even rained off games receive even points. So, if you can get yourself ahead, even if it’s just one point, it is almost like another win.”

Veteran opening batsman Henry Davids has been in form at the top of the order for the Rocks with the 38-year-old posting 119 runs at the incredible strike-rate of 167.60. In the bowling department, left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin has led the way with six wickets in the last two matches.

Du Plessis, though, believes the current good run the Rocks are enjoying is not due to individuals, but rather that the entire team is starting to hit its stride.

“The great thing about everyone performing is that you don’t rely on one or two players, so that’s good to see,” he said. “For me it’s still pretty new, there are a few players in the team that I am still getting to know which is great because it creates challenges and you can see where they fit into which roles. It is really good to see everyone stepping up in the team.”

Meanwhile, the Giants will be hoping to maximise the benefits of playing in Port Elizabeth. The clash against the Rocks is the middle of three consecutive home games for Jon-Jon Smuts’ team. The first against the Cape Town Blitz on Tuesday was unfortunately washed out with both teams awarded two points each.

“It was disappointing (the rained out game),” Smuts said. “In this tournament if you play well at home, and, if you pick up points in your home games, you should be in with a good chance at the business end of the tournament. The next two games are vital for us. Hopefully we can play some good cricket.”

The Giants are increasing their efforts to make St George’s Park a fortress with a special discount ticket offer. The first 500 fans to buy their unreserved tickets – on Thursday only – will qualify for the reduced rate of just R1 to watch Friday’s match. The offer is available only at the ground’s ticket office.

“In our ongoing efforts to provide exciting promotions for our fans, we have decided, for Friday’s game, to charge R1 each for the first 500 unreserved tickets to be sold on Thursday only,” Giants commercial manager Christine Moss said. “We encourage fans to bring their ‘gees’ and support our powerhouse team like only Bay fans can.”
 
Media Release :

Jozi Stars batsman Pite van Biljon remains bullish over their Mzansi Super League prospects ahead of their bottom-of-the-table clash against the Durban Heat in Johannesburg on Friday.

Both sides have won just one out of their four games thus far, but as the competition reaches halfway for them, winning will now be moved high up their priority list.

The Stars were handed a four-wicket loss by the Tshwane Spartans in their Gauteng derby on Wednesday, while the Heat slipped to a 32-run DLS defeat at the hands of the Paarl Rocks in their latest match.

Van Biljon, who smashed a dizzy 42 off 13 balls in defeat at Centurion, insists the Stars remain upbeat over their chances in the competition, even adding that there was no desperation from the players that the game at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium was a must-win scenario.

“I don’t think there’s a feeling that we must win,” he explained. “The change room is still pretty relaxed, the only feeling we have is we must execute with what’s in front of us.

“So, it’s a very good change room, very relaxed. We have a lot of senior players in there.”

The Stars’ five points, which came via one bonus-point win over the Rocks, puts them four points behind the final play-off spot of third, currently occupied by the Paarl side, with the Heat (4 points) a further point behind.

The competition leaders, Cape Town Blitz, in contrast have 20 points from six games.

what, this tournament’s only halfway through now so a lot can still happen,” Van Biljon added. “Sure, we haven’t had the best of results to have come our way, but our guys are playing really well and if we can string some performances together we can get on a roll.”

If the Stars have problems, those of the Heat seem to be even bigger.

The Durbanites are not only struggling to put results together, but their performances have hardly impressed either.

Key men like Hashim Amla, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen have disappointed, but captain Albie Morkel remains hopeful of a turnaround.

“They are all experienced cricketers and they all know how to turn their game around,” he said. “Not any coach will do it, they (the players) will know how to do it, find that magic moment.

“It might be anything, like a nick through slip or one good shot through the covers for a guy like Hashim to be back to his full form again.”

And like Van Biljon, Morkel insisted that it was still too early in the competition to write them off. “It is early, but from a personal point of view as the captain, I would like for us to get on to a bit of a roll now,” he concluded. “Ten games go quickly like that.

“If you can win three or four now and get into the play-offs then anything can happen. So, I do think we need to make a move right away and the next week will be very important for us.”
 
Media Release : HENDRICKS' TON AND RABADA'S FOUR POWERS THE JOZI STARS

Friday, 30 November 2018

A maiden Mzansi Super League century from Reeza Hendricks and Kagiso Rabada’s career-best T20 figures powered the Jozi Stars to a 53-run bonus point victory over the Durban Heat at the Bidvest Wanderers on Friday evening.

Hendricks’s unbeaten innings of 104 was a masterpiece of placement and timing, but also possessed the brute force that is required in T20 cricket. It took a mere 51 balls, containing nine fours and half-a-dozen sixes.

And if Hendricks’ onslaught was not enough to knock the wind out of the visitors, Rabada (4/27) did just that in the very first over of the Heat’s run chase with three wickets in four balls.

They were not just any wickets either with all three being his Standard Bank Proteas teammates. Hashim Amla was the first to depart when he edged Rabada to Hendricks at first slip before the ICC World’s No 1 Test bowler had Keshav Maharaj caught at point.

But Rabada kept the very best for last with a rip-snorter that tore straight through Heinrich Klaasen’s defences to uproot the right-hander’s middle stump. The Heat were already going to need something special to chase down a tournament record score of 230/3, but after being reduced to 4/3 the match was virtually over as a contest.

Having watched the carnage from the non-striker’s end, Morne van Wyk battled valiantly for his 67 off 32 balls but it was simply never going to be enough.

Although Hendricks’s masterpiece was undoubtedly the premier feature of the Jozi Stars’ innings, the Standard Bank Proteas opener had plenty of support.

Young Ryan Rickelton, who was the previous record holder of the highest score in MSL T20, continues to impress with another sparkling 45 off only 30 balls in a 99-run opening stand with Hendricks.

That set the platform for Rassie van der Dussen (37 off 21 balls, 4x6) and Dan Christian (36 off 15 balls, 2x4, 3x6) to feast upon the misfiring Heat attack. Van der Dussen, in particular, was in a rampant mood with the right-hander smashing four successive sixes off Tladi Bokako.

Van der Dussen had the crowd at the Bidvest Wanderers on their feet as he was on track for the elusive Castle 6 Pack Challenge - which is a R10-million incentive for the first batsman to hit six consecutive sixes in a match – but fell just short of the prize.

It was though indicative of the dominance the Jozi Stars had over the Durban Heat on the night.
 
Media Release : GIANTS CLOSE TO WITHIN A POINT OF BLITZ

Friday, 30 November 2018

Sisanda Magala, Jon-Jon Smuts and Man of the Match Heino Kuhn starred as the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants closed to within a point of Mzansi Super League leaders the Cape Town Blitz with a dominant bonus-point win over the Paarl Rocks in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

The hosts won by 48 runs after bowling out the visitors for 120 in 19.3 overs as they tried to hunt down a victory target of 169.

Kuhn lead the way with his fluent innings of 54 (36 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes), before Magala and Smuts snared three wickets each to destroy the visitors and hand the home side the full quota of five points.

That saw them jump to 19 points, only one behind the leading Blitz with four rounds of the round-robin stage remaining. It was a key result for the Giants and one that now leaves them well placed to challenge the Capetonians, who had been running away from everyone over the initial part of the competition.

The Giants won the toss and elected to bat first at St George’s Park with Smuts (21), Marco Marais (20) and Ben Duckett (16) helping their side to a strong start after they progressed to 70 for two in the eighth over.

After the departure of the skipper, Kuhn picked up the baton and shared in a 70-run fourth wicket stand with Christiaan Jonker (23), before Chris Morris (15 not out) helped them end on 168 for nine in their 20 overs.

Dane Paterson was the pick of the bowlers with two for 26, with the Standard Bank Proteas fast bowler also inflicting two run-outs in the final over.

But his side were then let down by their batting, losing wickets almost at will in the opening 10 overs.

Only one man stood tall and that was Proteas opener Aiden Markram, who struck exactly 50 off 39 balls (5 fours, 1 six).

The rest of the top order crumbled, mainly at the hands of Smuts after his three for 17, with Morris also chipping in with two for 25.

Henry Davids, captain Faf du Plessis and Patrick Kruger all made seven, with six coming from Vaughn van Jaarsveld.

But the next best score after Markram was 18 by David Wiese as Magala (3/17) ripped through the tail.

It ensured the Giants a big win and left the visitors with two wins from five so far.
 
Media Release : BLITZ HOPE TO EXPLOIT SPARTANS ROOKIE PACERS

Friday, 30 November 2018

CAPE Town Blitz coach Ashwell Prince is hoping his team can exploit the inexperience in the Tshwane Spartans' seam bowling attack when the two teams meet at SuperSport Park on Saturday.

The clash is a re-match of the tournament opening fixture at Newlands a fortnight ago when the Blitz emerged victorious in the "North v South" derby.

The Spartans were rocked mid-way through the competition when Standard Bank Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi was ruled out through a knee injury sustained on the recent tour of Australia.

Although the Spartans have the experienced duo of Andrew Birch and Rory Kleinveldt in their squad, coach Mark Boucher opted for the youthful trio of Eldred Hawken, Corben Bosch and Lutho Sipamla for the mid-week victory over the Jozi Stars.

"We saw them here on the first day, so we have an idea what they are about. I think they are heavily reliant on AB (de Villiers) in the batting department, although Dean Elgar also played nicely.

"They also had a big injury to Lungi Ngidi, so they can’t call on his expertise as well, which has left their seam bowling attack fairly young. They had Hawken, Bosch and Sipamla in their last game, that was their first three seamers, so that's very young," Prince said.

The Blitz, though, were also rocked by a "massive" injury to a fast bowler this week with Anrich Nortje ruled out of the entire tournament. Nortje has an ankle injury and will undergo surgery soon.

"It is really unfortunate that the injury has come at this particular time in his career. He is definitely one for the future for the Proteas, and South Africa has a lot to look forward to from this young man," Prince said.

"Everybody in Cape Town was really excited to see the sheer pace that Anrich [Nortje] could generate, which they saw in the first warm-up game against Paarl Rocks, where he got the ball through at 150 - maybe higher. I think all Capetonians were really excited about his potential in the tournament and, in the brief time he played with us, he didn't disappoint."

The Blitz have replaced Nortje with Nortje Highveld Lions left-arm seamer Nandre Burger.

Meanwhile, the Spartans will be looking to maintain their momentum after beating the Jozi Stars on Wednesday. Opener Dean Elgar, in particular, is keen to continue his good form at the top order after striking a career-best 79 not out.

"I am very happy to open. i have always thought I was best suited in the top three in this format of the game. It allows me to get myself in and then play a few more expansive shots later on," the Proteas left-hander said.

Elgar also believes the Spartans' have put their opening defeat to the Blitz behind them.

"The Cape Town Blitz are a strong side. Their bowling unit seems quite solid. But we also have some seriously strong batters that haven't come off and when they do it is going to be some great entertainment for the spectators. T20 is so unpredictable. Any team on any day can blow a team out of the water," he said.
 
A critically sparkling century by Quinton de Kock lifted the Cape Town Blitz from the midst of a slump to rise above the challenge of the Tshwane Spartans and set up a bonus-point 60-run Mzansi Super League win in Centurion on Saturday.

The Standard Bank Proteas opener dazzled the crowd with his 108 (55 balls, 10 fours, 5 sixes) – his fourth Twenty20 ton – and one that enabled the log leaders to set a competitive 173.

The home side then struggled in their reply, folding for a competition low of 112 all out thanks to three wickets apiece by Mohammad Nawaz (3/14) and Nandre Burger (3/19).

The Spartans were eventually all out in 18.2 overs to hand a vital win to the Blitz, who stretched their total to 25 points at the top of the table, six ahead of the second-placed Nelson Mandela Bay Giants.

But how the Cape side would have struggled had it not been for De Kock’s dizzy innings.

The South Africa wicketkeeper initially shared in an opening stand of 83 from 8.5 overs with Janneman Malan, the only other batsmen in the visitors’ innings to reach double figures after he made 34.

The log leaders then hit a grey patch that saw them bizarrely lose their next eight wickets for only 17 runs, although De Kock was the fortunate one to survive the collapse.

He then found an able partner in Malusi Siboto (nine not out) as the pair took the score from 101 for eight to 158 – a key 57-run stand.

They eventually ended on 172 for nine as Sean Williams (2/14), Corbin Bosch (2/27) and Jeevan Mendis (2/33) all ended with two wickets each.

The chase was a disappointing one for the home side, especially after the first two wickets fell. Top-scorer Dean Elgar (37) and Gihahn Cloete (16) opened up with 29, before the former and Theunis de Bruyn (10) carried the score to 64 for one in the ninth over.

But it all went wrong from there with Nawaz first striking, before Siboto (2/14) nabbed the key wicket of AB de Villiers for seven.

Wickets continued to fall regularly as the Spartans were rolled over with 10 balls to spare, the result leaving them second bottom on the table.
 
Good win for Paarl today. I must say I am enjoying this tournament as it's giving one a good look at the talent available in SA.

Also nice to hear Neil Manthorp in the commentary box today, easily the best South African commentator around.
 
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