The Paarl Royals made history on Monday night by becoming the first team to win all their home fixtures during a single SA20 campaign.
The Royals have put five teams to the sword in the winelands, making Boland Park a fortress.
Speaking exclusively ahead of the tournament a few weeks ago, Paarl Royals captain, David Miller, stressed the importance of winning their home games.
“It’s quite important, we have spoken about it – to continue that momentum at home being five games out of ten. At home we wanna capitalize on that situation but, I just really love the fans out there!” said the left-hander.”
When teams go about setting their objectives ahead of tournaments, and especially T20 tournaments with an IPL format, winning at home should be a pre-requisite for any side.
Add passionate fans and a group of players who seem to have made a genuine connection with that set of supporters and it sounds a lot like the Paarl Royals’ class of 2025.
Miller mentioned wanting to please the faithful fans of the Boland region in the lead up to the tournament:
“They’re really passionate, they really do get behind us and it’s great playing in front of them.”
The Proteas left-hander touched on Boland Park and the intimate atmosphere it creates which has also proved to be a daunting obstacle for visiting teams.
That much is clear to see when looking at the Royals’ record – five wins out of five at home.
“It’s a small stadium compared to other stadiums but really unique and quite intimate at the same time, so it’s really, really cool to be playing in front of the avid fans in Paarl.”
It’s a small stadium compared to other stadiums but really unique and quite intimate at the same time, so it’s really, really cool to be playing in front of the avid fans in Paarl.
That message must have filtered down into the rest of the team with the likes of England star, Joe Root and South African prospects Kwena Maphaka and Lhuan-dre Pretorius walking into the setup and flourishing.
Root’s overall experience and presence would be enough to affect any team and give them that extra lift, something David Miller agrees with.
“It’s nice to have someone of his calibre. I think dealing with a lot of these experienced players in the past, I know, a lot of the time things are pretty simple but it’s just about being consistent with the simple things.”
Miller revealed that Root’s influence on the side was already evident in the build up to the tournament.
“It is nice to hear his outlook on captaincy, experience – being a part of winning teams so it’s really cool to have that. And then obviously, the rock that he is with the bat – I think we’re gonna enjoy his company.”
Miller’s words about being a rock with the bat rang true with the England batter sitting second in the list of top run-scorers – with 279 runs in eight matches. He’s scored the most fifties in the tournament with three to his name, batting at an average of 55.8.
During those knocks, Root has ended unbeaten on three occasions, allowing the other destructive Paarl batters to play their natural game.
Perhaps that’s part of the reason why Lhuan-dre Pretorius has been so successful in his debut season. The 18-year-old tops the run-scoring charts ahead of teammate Root, catching the eye with his explosive approach at the top of the order.
Just two days before the Paarl Royals began their campaign, Miller expressed his excitement to see how young guns Maphaka and Pretorius would perform. Both of them have delivered so far, which has propelled their side to a seven-point lead at the top of the SA20 standings.
They have two more matches to play before they can fully focus on the playoffs but you’d imagine they’d want to maintain their winning momentum on route to a maiden SA20 title.
