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HOW THEY REACHED THE FINAL: DURBAN'S SUPER GIANTS
It has to be said that Durban’s Super Giants started the season like a team not keen on leaving their playoffs hopes to fine margins – having missed because of an inferior net run rate in Season 1.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FINAL AT NEWLANDS
Heinrich Klaasen set the tone for how Lance Klusener’s charges were going to go about business in their opener against MI Cape Town and duly proved the difference when rain shortened the match at Kingsmead. Thereafter, Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Joburg Super Kings were each beaten by 30-plus run margins, as DSG charged their way to the top of the table.
A two-match blip ensued as Pretoria Capitals edged them in Centurion before Sunrisers meted their revenge at Kingsmead.
However, the consistency of Matthew Breetzke, effervescence of Noor Ahmad and arrival of Marcus Stoinis sparked a revival which yielded four consecutive victories – at MI Cape Town, twice against Paarl Royals and against the Capitals. Those wins both sealed DSG’s place in Qualifier 1 and made them tournament favourites for many a punter. However, last Saturday Joburg Super Kings showed that no T20 result is ordained in overhauling a record score to secure their own playoffs place.
DSG were outplayed in all facets by Sunrisers in their Qualifier 1 clash on Tuesday, but they bounced back on Thursday in Qualifier 2; comfortably beating Joburg Super Kings by 69 runs at the Wanderers. They will have the return trip to Cape Town to plan their revenge for the rematch against Sunrisers in the Final.
STAR BATTER: HEINRICH KLAASEN
West Indies star Nicholas Pooran came and went, Matthew Breetzke has maintained consistency throughout Season 2 and Quinton de Kock has had his moments, but Heinrich Klaasen has been the undoubted star in Durban’s Super Giants line-up.
‘Klaasie’ has roamed up and down the DSG middle-order, but no opposition has been able to tame him, whether it was MI Cape Town who saw him blast 85 to win a rain-shortened match, or Joburg Super Kings who saw him plonk a few balls in the adjoining road to Kingsmead on his way to 64 or Paarl Royals, who could not have foreseen him smash an SA20-record 16-ball 50. All told, he has belted his way to 447 runs at an incredible strike rate of 208.87, and duly took the lead in the Betway Player of the Season and Batter of the Season after his 74 off 30 balls against JSK on Thursday blasted DSG's way into the final.
STAR BOWLER - NOOR AHMAD
It was not until Durban’s Super Giants’ fifth match of the season, the home match against Sunrisers Eastern Cape, that Noor Ahmad was given a game. Considering he returned figures of 0-39 in that lost game, some punters could have been excused for thinking the 19-year-old Afghanistan wrist-spinner might return the dugout.
Not so. Noor retained his place for the away trip to the cape where he picked up four wickets against MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals. However, in the home match against Royals which followed all his variety, nous and accuracy were on display as he claimed the first five-for’ of Season 2, claiming an incredible 5-11. That performance rocketed him up the Bowler of the Season leaderboard, and subsequently miserly spells against Pretoria Capitals and Joburg Super Kings have secured him the top place heading into the playoffs, on 75.52 rankings points. DSG missed Noor on Tuesday after his return to international duty.
FORM GUIDE
W vs MI Cape Town (H)
W vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (A) - WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | READ THE MATCH REPORT
W vs Joburg Super Kings (H)
L vs Pretoria Capitals (A)
L vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (H) - WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | READ THE MATCH REPORT
W vs MI Cape Town (A)
W vs Paarl Royals (A)
W vs Paarl Royals (H)
W vs Pretoria Capitals (H)
L vs Joburg Super Kings (A)
L vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (N - Qualifier 1) - WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | READ THE MATCH REPORT
W vs Joburg Super Kings (A - Qualifier 2)
Junior Dala has taken the joint-most wickets for DSG this season, with 13.
MOST RUNS
447 - Heinrich Klaasen
HIGHEST SCORE
85 – Heinrich Klaasen (vs MI Cape Town, H)
MOST WICKETS
13 - Keshav Maharaj, Junior Dala
BEST BOWLING
5-11 – Noor Ahmad (vs Paarl Royals, H)
MOST 4S
39 – Matthew Breetzke
MOST 6S
37 - Heinrich Klaasen
Back row (left to right): Bryce Parsons, Prenelan Subrayen, Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Jason Smith, Keemo Paul, Matthew Breetzke, Junior Dala, Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Front row (left to right): Nicholas Pooran, Dwaine Pretorius, Reece Topley, Quinton de Kock, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Mayers, Heinrich Klaasen, Richard Gleeson, Jon-Jon Smuts.
SQUAD (matches played)
Keshav Maharaj (captain – 11 matches), Ashton Agar (0), Noor Ahmad (6), Matthew Breetzke (11), Junior Dala (3), Quinton de Kock (10), Tony de Zorzi (5), Richard Gleeson (3), Heinrich Klaasen (11), Kyle Mayers (1), Wiaan Mulder (10), Naveen-ul-Haq Murid (7), Bryce Parsons (0), Keemo Paul (6), Nicholas Pooran (3), Dwaine Pretorius (7), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (1), Jon-Jon Smuts (10), Jason Smith (0), Marcus Stoinis (5), Prenelan Subrayen (1), Reece Topley (10).
