Battle of the mystery spinners to decide Boland Park clash

Durban’s Super Giants’ season is on the line when they travel to Boland Park to meet Paarl Royals in a crucial Betway SA20 encounter on Tuesday (5.30pm).

DSG have played eight matches - two more than Royals - and have collected 14 points thus far, leaving Lance Klusener’s side in fifth place and one point adrift of their hosts.

A victory over Royals would place DSG firmly in contention for the play-offs but defeat would leave them with a do-or-die final league fixture in the return match at Kingsmead on Saturday.

Super Giants’ in-form opener Marques Ackerman believes his team’s nail-biting two-run victory over the Sunrisers in their last game has given them the confidence to get the job done at Boland Park.

“Yeah, look, that was a must-win game for us. We were really stoked that we got over the line,” Ackerman said.

“Yes, it was a bit closer than we would have liked but we've got a heck of a team. We've got loads of experience in the T20 format. I mean, you look at some of the guys, they're the best in the world.

“So, it's just a matter of time. And a lot of teams know that once we catch a bit of momentum, we’ll be a tough team to beat. Hopefully it's the bit of momentum that our team needs.”

The conditions at Boland Park are once again expected to be spin friendly, especially with the temperatures soaring above 35℃ during the day which could dry out the surface even more.

Ackerman expects DSG’s West Indian ace mystery spinner Sunil Narine to have a major impact.

“Watching him (Narine) bowl on TV doesn't do him justice. I faced him in the middle during training and I think he got me out seven times in 10 balls,” he said.

“So, he's really difficult to face and really hard to pick. So, what he brings to our team is massive. The experience, firstly. The calmness that he brings into the changing room.

“But just his skills at being able to bowl on the PowerPlay as a spinner. I think he bowled two or three overs in the PowerPlay.

“So, I mean, it takes a really good bowler to be able to do that. And he's been a massive addition to our team.”

In contrast, David Miller’s Royals will be looking to ease their path to the play-offs as a bonus-point victory would take them level with new table toppers Pretoria Capitals with a game in hand.

The Boland Park faithful will be eager to see their team bounce back after a home defeat to Pretoria Capitals with all eyes focused on the Royals’ own mystery spinner Sikandar Raza to lead the way.

The Zimbabwean is currently joint top of the Betway SA20 wicket-takers charts along with Royals teammate Ottneil Baartman and Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s Anrich Nortje.

Raza believes the previous defeat is a thing of the past and the Royals are only focused on the future.

“We haven’t discussed the previous game. There was nothing to discuss and I think rightly so. There's no need on the match day to bring out the memories of the last game,” he said.

“It is always about trying to look forward, look ahead and try and do things better and I thought we did a lot of things better.”