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HOW THEY REACHED THE PLAYOFFS: JOBURG SUPER KINGS
Four rounds into Betway SA20 Season 2, it would have taken a brave cricket fan to predict that Joburg Super Kings would reach the playoffs.
Stephen Fleming’s men started the season with a frustrating trip down to Gqeberha, as the opening match of the League at defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape was rained out.
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Frustration turned to confusion when the star-laden Super Kings then suffered three bonus point losses in a row, at home against MI Cape Town and away at Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals. There were ‘moments’ for the men in yellow, like Lizaad Williams’ 4-26 against DSG and Leus du Plooy’s 71 off 43 at Boland Park, but the team just couldn’t be consistent throughout the 40 overs of a match.
An exhilarating win in the Highveld Derby against Pretoria Capitals had the Wanderers in raptures, thanks largely to Donovan Ferreira’s (then-SA20 record) 18-ball 50.
However, Paarl Royals then deflated them with a come-from-behind chase before the return Derby at Centurion was rained out – leaving much to do for Faf du Plessis and his men.
The captain himself then stood tall in a rain-shortened fixture against fellow strugglers, MI Cape Town, at Newlands to keep JSK in the playoffs race – although results now needed to go their way elsewhere.
This was especially the case, when another batting collapse at home (78 all out), against Sunrisers left them on the brink.
However, results then did go their way in the final round of the group stage, meaning a win against the pace-setting Super Giants would secure them the fourth, and final, playoffs spot. When the Durbanites then set them a massive 204 to chase the odds were not in their favour. However, du Plessis, Wayne Madsen, and Ferreira came to the party and Wanderers were left rocking after the record-breaking win.
As it happens, JSK now face Paarl Royals – low on confidence – at home in the Eliminator with the prospect of another home fixture against DSG in Qualifier 2 should they win.
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 out on inferior net run rate in Season 1.
STAR BATTER: LEUS DU PLOOY
On paper, Joburg Super Kings started the season with a well-stocked batting lineup in vastly experienced captain Faf du Plessis, Proteas stalwart Reeza Hendricks, two-time World Cup winner Moeen Ali and big-hitting Donovan Ferreira but it’s the man who has yet to taste international cricket, Leus du Plooy, who has emerged as the lead man.
The left-hander has been required to play counter-attacking knocks throughout the competition, initially in the middle-order and has contributed in almost every match for a haul of 286 runs – placing him fourth on the Batter of the Season leaderboard. When promoted to opener against MI Cape Town, at Newlands, Du Plooy surprised his captain with his talent and gumption and has retained the position going into the playoffs. The newly-formed right-left combination might prove to be a masterstroke for JSK.
STAR BOWLER - LIZAAD WILLIAMS
Lizaad Williams travelled to last year’s World Cup in India as a back-up seamer while Gerald Coetzee announced himself as a genuine world star. Subsequently, Nandre Burger has forced his way into the national reckoning with a bang. However, wily Williams has shown why he’s such a handful in T20 cricket. In the injury-enforced absence of Coetzee, Williams has taken the mantle – literally - and lead the JSK pack.
His canny swing and seam bowling has accounted for 15 wickets in the group stage, the joint-most with Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s Daniel Worrall, and his LeBron James-inspired ‘king’ celebration has been the talk of the competition. With the chance of back-to-back playoffs matches at Wanderers this week, Williams will fancy his chances of leading JSK to an unlikely place in the Final.
FORM GUIDE
NR vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (A)
L vs MI Cape Town (H)
L vs Durban’s Super Giants (A)
L vs Paarl Royals (A)
W vs Pretoria Capitals (H)
L vs Paarl Royals (H)
NR vs Pretoria Capitals (A)
W vs MI Cape Town (A)
L vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (H)
W vs Durban’s Super Giants (H)
MOST RUNS
299 – Leus du Plooy
HIGHEST SCORE
79* – Reeza Hendricks (vs Paarl Royals, H)
MOST WICKETS
15 – Lizaad Williams
BEST BOWLING
4-26 – Lizaad Williams (Durban’s Super Giants, A)
MOST 4S
28 – Leus du Plooy
MOST 6S
15 – Leus du Plooy
Back row (left to right): Sam Cook, Zahir Khan, Dayyaan Galiem, Ronan Herrmann, Nandre Burger, David Wiese, Wayne Madsen, Sibonelo Makhanya, Kyle Simmonds. Front row (left to right): Gerald Coetzee, Imran Tahir, Moeen Ali, Lizaad Williams, Aaron Phangiso, Faf du Plessis, Reeza Hendricks, Romario Shepherd, Donovan Ferreira, Leus du Plooy.
SQUAD (matches played)
Faf du Plessis (captain - 9 matches), Moeen Ali (9), Doug Bracewell (2), Nandre Burger (9), Gerald Coetzee (0), Sam Cook (0), Leus du Plooy (9), Donovan Ferreira (9), Dayyaan Galiem (1), Reeza Hendricks (9), Ronan Herrmann (2), Zahir Khan (1), Wayne Madsen (4), Sibonelo Makhanya (3), Aaron Phangiso (1), Romario Shepherd (6), Kyle Simmonds (3), Imran Tahir (9), David Wiese (4), Lizaad Williams (9).
