Fans flocked to the opening week with sold-out matches at St George’s Park, Kingsmead and Boland Park. The Betway SA20 Season 3 has started with a bang.
And it’s bigger and better than ever before. The excitement has been palpable inside all the stadiums with fans streaming through the turnstiles to support their teams again whilst getting a selfie with their favourite stiltwalker.
Betway SA20 has become the illustration of summer in South Africa with sold-out matches at St George’s Park, Kingsmead and Boland Park setting the tone for the season.
Even the Highveld rains could not dampen the spirits of the supporters at the Wanderers and Centurion.
The opening week has already produced some memorable highlights with both young South Africans and overseas internationals delivering performances of the highest quality.
The standout performance was a breathtaking 97 off 57 balls by Lhuan-dre Pretorius on his Paarl Royals debut. The former SA U19 star showed off all his promise through a power-packed innings that has made him an early frontrunner for the Betway SA20 Rising Star award – designated for players aged 25 and under.
Pretorius will likely face stiff competition from MI Cape Town’s Dewald Brevis, who seems to have settled into the middle order after opening the batting a couple of seasons ago.
Brevis lit up the competition opener with a classy half-century that helped MI Cape Town kickstart their Season 3 on a positive note at St George’s Park.
His six-hitting straight down the ground was particularly impressive.
“The way Brevis batted, and the way he finished was special. He is someone who can change the momentum at any time. He has that skill and ability. He has delivered in the past, it was an amazing innings under pressure,” said MI captain Rashid Khan.
Brevis missed out with the bat at the Wanderers in the rain-affected game against Joburg Super Kings, but he certainly left an indelible mark on the game.
The 21-year-old showed off his supreme athleticism with a spectacular catch on the boundary when he managed to keep the ball infield before diving back over the rope to complete the dismissal. A video clip of the catch has already passed 1million views across the Betway SA20 social media platforms.
Brevis’ MI Cape Town teammate Delano Potgieter had also emerged from the shadows with a couple of superb allround performances.
After being called on to bowl for the first time in two years of Betway SA20, Potgieter claimed a career-best 5/10 at St George’s Park.
“I just tried to keep it simple. Did not bowl one slower ball, tried to hit the top of the stumps,” Potgieter said.
In the follow-up game, Potgieter bunted 44 not out (22 balls, 4×4, 3×6) to show off his ability to hit a long ball.
Teen pace bowling sensation Kwena Maphaka also made his much-anticipated debut for the Paarl Royals, picking up a credible 2/35 at Boland Park.
“He is a special player. He has the skill sets to be the superstar that I expect him to be. In Kwena, South Africa has found a gem, and they need to protect him,” said Royals veteran Dinesh Karthik, who is the first former India international to play in the Betway SA20.
The young South Africans have certainly been inspired by the level of performance from the international superstars.
MI Cape Town’s Trent Boult has been sensational with the new ball, picking up the big wickets of Zak Crawley (England, Sunrisers Eastern Cape) and Devon Conway (New Zealand, Joburg Super Kings) in successive matches. His burgeoning partnership with Kagiso Rababa is certainly something to look forward to as the competition progresses.
Fellow Kiwi Kane Williamson also made an immediate impression with an unbeaten half-century on debut for Durban’s Super Giants, while his calm demeanour in the field would also have played a role in DSG edging past the Pretoria Capitals in a thriller at Kingsmead.
Lastly, but not definitely least the Afghanistanis have added an extra dimension to Betway SA20 Season 3 with their natural flair providing a reel of exciting moments.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz delivered a dynamic opening performance with the bat for the Capitals (89 off 43 balls) before Noor Ahmad (2/34) and Naveen-ul-Haq (1/35) combined excellently with the ball for the Super Giants, while Mujeeb-ur-Rahman also delivered the fine figures of 2/27 for the Royals.
bang shift
No, it’s not a typo. He actually did take more than Four Thousand wickets. Sir Jack Hobbs scored 199 centuries in his First Class career.
Necessary Momentum
The historic first rugby match was a contest between England and Scotland, marking the beginning of international competition in the sport. Scotland emerged as the victors in this inaugural game.