Merciless Giants roast the Heat in T20 thriller
NMB outfit move into second place after convincing victory at St George’s Park
The Nelson Mandela Bay Giants climbed into second position on the log after convincingly hammering the Durban Heat by nine wickets in their Mzansi Super League T20 fixture at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.
Playing against a Heat side laden with Proteas and chasing a target of 128, the Giants delighted the home crowd of 4,055 spectators to cruise in with all of 15 balls to spare.
The Giants were superb with the ball up front and then captain Jon-Jon Smuts was the hero with the bat, clubbing an unbeaten 62.
He shared an opening stand of 94 in12.5 overs with Marco Marais, who added a wellstruck 42 off 38 before being bowled by Vernon Philander.
Smuts struck six fours and two sixes off only 52 balls.
Marais was the only wicket to fall in the Giants’ innings, bowled by Philander.
Englishman Briton Ben Duckett (21 not out) was with Smuts when the winning runs were scored.
The Giants were clinical with the ball in restricting the Heat to 127 for six after putting the visitors in to bat.
The Heat got off to a disastrous start as Junior Dala bowled Morne van Wyk (0) with the second ball of the innings.
In the next over, Chris Morris took two wickets off consecutive balls, removing Heinrich Klaasen for six and then bowling the dangerous David Miller for nought.
That left the Heat on 10 for three in two overs and it got worse for them when Hashim Amla was dismissed leg before wicket by Imran Tahir. And it was 58 for five when Sisanda Magala weighed in with the wicket of Khaya Zondo for 26.
Further contributions from captain Albie Morkel (28), Vernon Philander (26) and Keshav Maharaj with 22 not out ensured the visitors had a half decent total to bowl at.
The Heat would have fancied themselves for a few more than 127 had Morkel not been hit at the non-striker’s end on the arm and wrist by batting partner Philander with five overs remaining and the total on 91 for five.
There were a few stray deliveries from the Giants but for most part they were extremely good with the ball, with Dala being the pick of the bowlers, taking two for 16 in four overs.
The Giants made two changes to their starting team, one of which was to replace Heino Kuhn with Wihan Lubbe.
Kuhn suffered a concussion after being struck on the helmet by Dale Steyn in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Titans paceman Corbin Bosch has been called up to replace injured Lungi Ngidi in the Tshwane Spartans squad.
For Bosch, who missed out in the draft, the call-up to the League is a dream come true.
“I’ve barely been able to sleep over the last few days! It was disappointing to miss out in the draft, but this makes it all the more special,” he said.
The 24-year-old all-rounder was part of the victorious South African U19 side that won the ICC Junior World Cup in 2014.
The Spartans’ next fixture is at home in Centurion to the NMB Giants on Sunday.
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