Roy’s arrival to give Giants a massive lift
Englishman Jason Roy will bolster the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants for their next game against the Durban Heat at Kingsmead on Wednesday.
Roy was signed up by the Giants in the Mzansi Super League draft but like the other international marquee players, was previously committed to playing in the T10 League in the United Arab Emirates.
That tournament finished at the weekend and all the Mzansi teams will be looking forward to having their international stars in their lineups for the final throes of the group stage.
Roy, who will meet up with the team in Durban for the first time, was one of the star performers in the UAE, scoring 206 runs at an average of 51.50 in five innings. His strike-rate was 206 runs per 100 balls.
The 28-year-old’s swashbuckling strokeplay has endeared him to fans all over the world and the Giants are pleased to be able to call on the Durban-born star.
“He’s a world class and marquee player for us for a reason,” Giants skipper Jon-Jon Smuts said. “We’re really excited. He’s one of the most dynamic players in the world at the moment and it will be great to see what he can bring to us.
“He does bring a massive X factor and a few man-of-thematch performances will be great as well,” Smuts said.
Roy’s arrival does present the Giants’ management with some selection posers.
There is no doubt Roy will be opening the innings and this may see Marco Marais dropping down the order to replace the struggling Christiaan Jonker in the middle.
Jonker’s legend in these parts as “The Finisher” precedes him, but he has only made 45 runs from five innings and may be the player sacrificed to fit Roy in.
“I suppose you can look at it in two ways,” Smuts said.
“Change is sometimes a good or bad thing. I suppose we’ve got to look at it that Jason Roy is one of the best T20 players in the world and we’re going to have him in our side, so it’s a massive bonus. Again, he can score 100 in 30 balls which is really exciting.”
Smuts admitted the Giants were off the pace in their 81run loss to the Jozi Stars at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Stars batsman Reeza Hendricks made a second consecutive hundred to take the game away from the home team.
“We probably didn’t execute our plans at 100%,” Smuts said.
“But, in saying that, I think you can’t take it away that Reeza batted out of his socks today [Sunday].
“I think if you look at the whole scorecard in both innings, he’s the only guy who really took the game away.
“Everyone else has pretty much gone run-a-ball. He struck it 180-plus, that just shows how well he’s batted.
“Again, we just weren’t at our best and they played really well,” Smuts said.
Tuesday’s match sees the table-topping Cape Town Blitz host the Jozi Stars at Newlands.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
FREE TO READ | Just register if you’re new, or sign in.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@heraldlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.