NMB Giants skipper Jon-Jon Smuts’s team is relishing an opportunity to mix it up with regular teammate and Cape Town Blitz quickie Anrich Nortje when the teams clash in the Mzansi Super League T20 at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday (7pm).
Nortje, who plays out of Port Elizabeth for the Warriors franchise in the domestic system, was snapped up by the Cape Town Blitz in the MSL player draft.
It is only two matches in and the 25-year-old fast bowler is already the talk of the MSL, impressing with his deadly accurate thunderbolts.
Nortje, who is being tipped to obtain national honors soon, has been firing in deliveries at around 150km/h and even rushed AB de Villiers for pace at the weekend.
When questioned if he had threatened Nortje with bowling into the howling westerly for the Warriors in 2019 if he comes too hard at the Giants on Wednesday night, Smuts laughed and said: “No, I have not told Ana yet. But I may have to have a word.”
But then the conversation turned serious.
“I’m glad he is getting the recognition he deserves. He has performed really well in the past two seasons so I’m really chuffed for him,” Smuts said.
“But back to Wednesday’s game, they have good bowlers and batters and so do we.
“So it will be a great contest. We are really looking forward to it,” the Giants leader said.
Smuts was alluding to the fact that the Blitz also have the likes of Dale Steyn, Quinton de Kock, Farhaan Behardien, Andile Phehlukwayo, Pakistanis Asif Ali and Mohammad Nawaz and Englishman Dawid Malan in their lineup.
But the Giants got off to a fantastic start, beating the Jozi Stars quite comfortably in their first match, and will be confident heading into the Newlands clash.
“Yes, we were very happy how we executed our plans in the first game. It was a great start for us and something to build on,” Smuts said.
Impish Englishman Ben Duckett was superb on debut for the Giants, smashing a match-winning 75, while Proteas left-arm spinners Smuts and Aaron Phangiso were hugely effective in the middle of the innings.
The Giants also welcome some international stars into the fold in Imran Tahir and Chris Morris, who have returned from their successful white-ball tour of Australia with SA.
“Yes, it’s great to have Immy and Chris with us now. They are world-class players and we are really lucky to have them.”
With Tahir entering the fray, the Giants are likely to employ a quality three-pronged spin attack.