Heinrich Klaasen ended 2023 as arguably the pre-eminent player of spin in white-ball cricket, and he seemed to pick up where he left off in Durban’s Super Giants’ (DSG) SA20 curtain-raiser against MI Cape Town (MICT). In this match, he lifted DSG to an eleven-run victory on the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method with a dominant 85 off 35 balls. Typical of Klaasen’s style, the innings featured eight sixes, as he battered his way to a match-winning knock.
Earlier in the game, Ryan Rickelton scored a 51-ball 87 as MICT posted 207/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Rickelton will likely rue his slowdown in the second half of his innings: after scoring 50 off just 24 deliveries, he took 27 balls for the next 37 runs. Rickelton was supported by Rassie van der Dussen and Liam Livingstone, who scored 24 and 25 runs respectively, while Kieron Pollard, the captain for this season, compiled a quick 31 off 14 deliveries, finishing the innings with flair. For DSG, Dwaine Pretorius was the standout bowler, conceding only 15 runs in his two overs in a game where ten runs an over was the norm. Conversely, Englishman Reece Topley had a challenging start to the tournament, yielding 53 runs in his four overs.
In response, Matthew Breetzke, capped at T20 level for South Africa last year, got DSG off to a flying start with a 24-ball 39, despite the early dismissals of Quinton de Kock (5) and Wiaan Mulder (5). When Breetzke fell at the halfway point with DSG at 99/4, the team needed a hero, especially as an injury to Keshav Maharaj meant they were likely batting lighter than hoped. Heinrich Klaasen stepped up, having already hit Thomas Kaiber’s gentle left-arm wrist spin for two sixes. After Breetzke’s dismissal, Klaasen accelerated, scoring 56 runs off the next 19 deliveries, demonstrating why he’s one of the most sought-after batsmen in T20 cricket. He was particularly effective against spin, with 31 of his runs coming from just 12 balls against slower bowlers. MICT might feel hard done by as Klaasen’s wicket did bring a brief respite, with only three runs scored off the next four deliveries before rain stopped play. At that stage, DSG still needed 31 runs from 21 balls, making them favourites, but they were down to their last healthy batting duo. The teams never returned to the field, and DSG’s 177/6 was adjudged to be 11 runs ahead of the required rate.
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday, with DSG facing Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MICT up against the Joburg Super Kings.
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