Durban’s Super Giants maintained their unbeaten start to Betway SA20 Season 2 with a 37-run victory over Joburg Super Kings to entrench their position at the top of the log on Monday evening.
It was a low-scoring affair at Kingsmead with Heinrich Klaasen’s 64 off 41 balls (7×4, 2×6) proving to be the difference on the night for the Super Giants, who also claimed a bonus point for the efforts after posting 145/8.
Klaasen held the DSG innings together almost single-handedly, with JSK’s bowling unit showing great character to bounce back from their previous match.
They were backed up by a fielding unit that was equally desperate to put in an improved showing.
Lizaad Williams led the way with 4/26, while Nandre Burger also responded from his previous 2/53 against MI Cape Town with a four-over spell of 1/22.
Spin duo Moeen Ali (1/14) and Imran Tahir (1/9) also returned combined figures of 2/23 from their four overs.
Burger can certainly be grateful for a brilliant piece of Caribbean athleticism from Romario Shepherd, who flung himself into the air before throwing out a full stretched right arm to pouch a magnificent one-handed take, to see the back of Matthew Breetzke.
The Super Giants showed they were quick learners though, assessing conditions during the break and immediately introducing Jon-Jon Smuts’ left-arm spin into the attack.
It kept the Super Kings quiet during the Power Play before DSG captain Keshav Maharaj brought himself on in the last over of the Power Play.
It reaped immediate rewards with Maharaj delivering the perfect delivery that drifted in through the air before turning sharply off the pitch to hit the top of Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis’ off stump.
Maharaj (2/17) was certainly enjoying bowling in his home conditions and claimed a second scalp when he clean bowled Ronan Herrmann the following over after the rookie attempted an ill-fated reverse sweep.
The Super Kings, who remain winless after three matches, never recovered from the early setbacks with only Reeza Hendricks (38) and Moeen Ali (36) offering any form of resistance with DSG seamers Richard Gleeson (2/22) and Reece Topley (3/19) completing the job at the backend to dismiss the visitors for just 108.
Durban’s Super Giants have therefore given Nicholas Pooran the perfect sendoff with the West Indies T20 superstar closing his short but explosive three-match Betway SA20 stint.
The Super Kings only have two days to recover before they face the Paarl Royals – the only other unbeaten side in Season 2 – at Boland Park on Wednesday.
Player of the Match: Heinrich Klaasen (64 off 41)
