The Western Cape continues to lead the way and show the rest of the Mzansi Super League teams how to bring a vibe to a stadium, writes Naeemah Benjamin.
It was derby day at the picturesque Newlands and although at about 9 am there was a slight drizzle and overcast conditions, once the clouds moved and the sun appeared there was no better sight than witnessing table mountain peeking behind the railway stand.
The cricket was entertaining and nerve wrecking towards the end. More noticeably, what I picked up during my strolls through the stands was that during the second innings when the “home side” was batting, the railway stand was cheering everytime the Paarl Rocks took a wicket… Hmm.
Henry Davids scored 46 off 33 that lead the Paarl Rocks to a competitive 163/8 despite wickets tumbling around him.
Paarl’s spin triplets continued to put teams in a complete daze by claiming the wickets of the Blitz’s top 5. Mohammed Nawaz fought hard with his brilliant 41 off 23 balls, aided nicely by Vernon Philander’s 25-ball 33. This took them to the brink of victory… As I glanced over to the the changing room, Quinton de Kock’s visible emotions was a literal reflection of the match – nail-biting.
They needed 12 from the last over and what an over it was. There were wickets, leg-byes and wides that ensured that the Blitz required just 4 from the final delivery.
But Sri Lankan superstar Isuru Udana held his nerve to grind out a 2-run victory which left Sisanda Magala on the other end of a sad loss. He literally struggled to force out a taint smile when Nabeelah Fakier asked him to pose for a picture during the post-match festivities.
But amongst the negativity surrounding the tournament and the sorrow of the loss, there was something the Cape Town faithful could cheer about – The vibe in the stadium was fantastic.
I bumped into a cricketer from the University of the Western Cape, Romano Ramoo, who excitedly described why Newlands is his favourite ground.
Those generalizations that cricket is dead in this country should be extinguished, well at least the Western Cape can prove that this sport can still bring people together.
“Quinton de Kock, is one of the most destructive players in the T20 circuit so I was definitely keen to watch him in action” he said.
“Also, from a bowling perspective the Cape Town Blitz has a good bowling unit, especially their pace attack that consists of the likes of Dale Steyn, Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje and Wahab Riaz. That’s always exciting to witness and they’ve been bowling exceptionally well throughout this tournament.
“The atmosphere is always great, the interactions between comedian Dalin Oliver and the crowd also adds entertainment and keeps the vibe going and creates a nice atmosphere.
“I always enjoy the crowds at Newlands. Everyone comes out in numbers to support, that’s always good to see.
“The energy and vibe around the stadium is always good. I obviously enjoy heading down to Newlands with some of the guys I play cricket with, enjoy chilling with them and watching the game. And the music’s good too.” he concluded.
The vibe at Newlands is difficult to put into words.
So I won’t attempt to. All I’ll say is, the cricket is entertaining and of a very high standard, the ground is beautiful, the vibe is beyond incredible, there’s dance cams, kiss cams, food, beer (for those who drink) so just make your way down to the ground and get behind the team, whichever team that is.
