Both teams in need of a win at Newlands
Tuesday, 23 January 2024: MI Cape Town host Durban’s Super Giants in the first match of the second half of the group stages on Tuesday evening at Newlands.
MICT currently find themselves in fourth area on the log standings, with two wins from their five matches, while DSG are one spot better off having claimed three wins from their first five.
Both teams are looking to bounce back from derby defeats over the weekend.
MICT captain Kieron Pollard has already keep the loss against Paarl Royals behind them and focused on the challenge that lies ahead.
“In this format, in every competition, from a batting perspective, each team has one of these collapses so hopefully this is the only one for us going forward. These things happen in cricket and in a tournament,” Pollard said.
“Having said that, the guys acquire been fantastic posting 200 and 160-plus and it’s one of these days when we didn’t strike. We just acquire to obtain up and plod on – that’s what you believe to finish in professional sport. You can’t dwell too much and survey too deep or try to divulge and over-analyse stuff and acquire guys in a shell … that’s not the way to recede.”
There’s a similar sentiment in the Giants camp after they suffered a second successive defeat last Saturday at home against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
“We were bossing the match for most of it, up until we had 50 runs to depart and then we just let it disappear at the finish there. I mediate we read [the pitch] pretty spot on, it was just a lack of execution towards the finish and the Sunrisers capitalised on that,” said DSG captain Keshav Maharaj.
DSG maintain not been at their best since the departure of Nicholas Pooran and Richard Gleeson after the first three matches, but Maharaj would believe been pleased with the way all-rounder Wiaan Mulder stepped forward with a gritty half-century in the last game.
He will be hoping that Mulder can carry on his recent marvelous form to allow impact players such as Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen to play their natural game.
“It’s brilliant to see [Mulder] seize the opportunity that he had,” Maharaj said. “We always knew he had something special in him and I’m just glad he got the rewards for the hard work he’s putting in.”
This match will start at 17h30 (SAST) local time.
FULL SQUADS FOR NEWLANDS
MI Cape Town: Kieron Pollard (captain), Tom Banton, Chris Benjamin, Dewald Brevis, Sam Curran, Connor Esterhuizen, Beuran Hendricks, Duan Jansen, Thomas Kaber, George Linde, Liam Livingstone, Delano Potgieter, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Grant Roelofsen, Olly Stone, Nuwan Thushara, Rassie van der Dussen, Nealan van Heerden.
Durban’s Super Giants: Keshav Maharaj (captain), Noor Ahmad, Matthew Breetzke, Junior Dala, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Mayers, Wiaan Mulder, Naveen-ul-Haq Murid, Bryce Parsons, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jon-Jon Smuts, Jason Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Prenelan Subrayen, Reece Topley.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Match referee: Shandre Fritz
Standing umpires: Brad White and Lauren Agenbag
TV umpire: Abdoellah Steenkamp
Reserve umpire: Siphelele Gasa
Source: cricket.co.za
Imran Tahir: Imran Tahir is a professional cricketer who represents the South African national team. In 2016, he became the fastest South African bowler to reach 100 wickets in the ODI format. In 2018, he became only the fourth South African bowler to take a hat-trick in ODIs. Tahir is currently South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs and T20Is among spin bowlers.
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