By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Durban’s Super Giants extended their lead at the top of the SA20 table with a 37-run victory over strugglers Joburg Super Kings at Kingsmead on Monday night.
Heinrich Klaasen, who easily ranks among the best T20 players in the world, shone with the blade on a night most other batters found the going tough on a tricky surface.
He slapped a superb half-century and it was his 22nd half-century in the format and his fifth in the competition.
It was a low-scoring affair at Kingsmead with 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 the Joburg Super Kings bowling unit showing great character to bounce back from the mauling they received just a couple of days ago at the Wanderers.
They were backed up by a fielding unit that were 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 as they assessed the conditions during the break and immediately introduced 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.
Durban’s Super Giants:Quinton de Kock (wk), Matthew Breetzke, Jon-Jon Smuts, Nicholas Pooran, Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, Keemo Paul, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Richard Gleeson, Reece Topley
Joburg Super Kings:Faf du Plessis (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Leus du Plooy, Moeen Ali, Donovan Ferreira, David Wiese, Romario Shepherd, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Imran Tahir, Ronan Hermann.