SA20 lessons bear fruit for DSG’s new Proteas star Marques Ackerman 

Walking out to a packed Newlands. The sun shining over Table Mountain. A series decider against Australia, with the world No. 1 ICC Test ranking on offer.

It was on this grand stage that Durban’s Super Giants batter Marques Ackerman announced his arrival on the international stage with a scintillating 95 off just 94 balls (12x4, 2x6).

Confident, audacious and unapologetically attacking, his innings had the Cape Town crowd on its feet and the Australian bowlers searching for answers. 

Although Ackerman fell five runs short of a maiden Test century, there was something bigger to take from his performance than the disappointment of missing out on three figures. He looked like a batter who understood his game and trusted his instincts against one of the world’s leading bowling attacks.

Those qualities do not emerge overnight. They are shaped by experience, by the demands of different formats and by the ability to adapt when the game asks something new of you. For Ackerman, the Betway SA20 has been an important part of that education.

Ackerman will play in his fourth SA20 season, having been a champion with Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Season 1, then joined with Pretoria Capitals in Season 2 and returning to the League with Durban's Super Giants last campaign.

The competition has become a stage on which South African cricketers are challenged to think beyond traditional batting positions and fixed roles. A player might open in one match, move down the order in another or be promoted to exploit a particular bowling match-up. The modern franchise cricketer must be more than a specialist in one position; adaptability is part of the job description.

Ackerman has embraced that reality.

“I think playing SA20 has given us a lot of different roles. So, you’ve got to be quite flexible and you’ve got to make it work,” the dynamic left-hander said.

“Left-handers, you go up the order, down the order, match-ups, all that type of stuff. You have to make it work.”

It is a deceptively simple observation, but one that speaks to the tactical evolution of T20 cricket. The days of rigid batting orders and players being confined to a single role are increasingly giving way to a more fluid approach, in which match-ups, conditions and the state of a game can determine who bats when.

For a batter such as Ackerman, that flexibility can be transformative. It encourages a broader understanding of the game, demands quick thinking and forces players to become comfortable outside their familiar surroundings.

For Durban’s Super Giants, that mindset is an appealing prospect. But so, too, is the relationship Ackerman has developed with DSG captain Aiden Markram, with whom he also opens the batting for the Proteas in Test cricket.

Ackerman speaks warmly about the role Markram has played in helping him adapt to the demands of international cricket.

“I’ve batted with him (Aiden Markram) before, opening the batting in the SA20, so it’s quite a familiar relationship that we do have,” he explained.

“And having a guy like him, with all the experience, has been key for me. He’s been exceptional for me. That arm around the shoulder, giving me good advice as to what’s going to work, what to expect and backing certain options — it’s nice to have a calm head with him.”

Ackerman opened alongside Markram on two occasions during DSG’s campaign last season, and his recent development will certainly provide coach Lance Klusener with even more options in a squad blessed with an abundance of top-order stars, including Jos Buttler and Kane Williamson.

This all bodes well, especially with the entire Proteas Test top three, which also includes David Bedingham, based at Kingsmead for Season 5.