On Monday night, Durban’s Super Giants defeated the Johannesburg Super Kings by 37 runs to solidify their place at the top of the league table and continue their unblemished campaign in SA20 League Season 2.

Heinrich Klaasen‘s 64 off 41 balls proved to be the difference on the night for the Super Giants, who also grabbed a bonus point for restricting the Joburg Super Kings under 116 runs after their efforts to register 145/8 in a low-scoring match at Kingsmead.

Pitch report and playing XI

Bowlers are known to be favored on the Kingsmead pitch, especially seamers, who gain from more movement brought on by surface moisture. Batsmen may still score runs if they spend a bit of time in the middle of the field, even in these bowler-friendly circumstances.

Keshav Maharaj, captain of Durban’s Super Giants, won the toss and has opted to bat first with the same team as the previous match, while the Joburg Super Kings made a single change in the form of David Wiese coming in place of Zahir Khan.

Heinrich Klaasen held the DSG innings after a shaky start from the top order

Durban’s Super Giants lost both of their openers in the first four overs, indicating a rough start for them. At 37-4 from 6.1 overs, the Super Giants were having trouble after losing a few more wickets quickly. The falling ship was eventually steadied by Heinrich Klaasen and Keemo Paul’s partnership of 39(32).

Following Keemo Paul’s wicket, Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen combined to extend the innings. But Pooran was unable to be there till the very end. Nearly single-handedly, Heinrich Klaasen kept the DSG innings together, and the Joburg Super Kings bowling team showed incredible fortitude.

JSK’s bowling unit put on a good show, with Romario Shepherd taking a blinder catch

They had the support of a fielding unit that was just as eager to perform better. After the spell of 2/53 against MI Cape Town, Nandre Burger replied with a four-over stretch of 1/22, but Lizaad Williams led the unit with 4/26.

The combined stats of Moeen Ali (1/14) and Imran Tahir (1/9) from their four overs as spinners were also 2/23. Burger should be thankful for Romario Shepherd’s incredible display of Caribbean athleticism, as he threw himself into the air and then extended his right arm to bag an incredible one-handed take.

A fall of wickets at a continuous interval cost JSK a game

However, the Super Giants demonstrated their ability to pick things up quickly when they evaluated the situation at the halftime and introduced Jon-Jon Smuts’ left-arm spin into the attack right away. It kept the Super Kings silent during the Powerplay, and in the final over of the Powerplay, DSG skipper Keshav Maharaj came on.

It paid off right away when Maharaj smashed the top of Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis’ off stump with a superb delivery that sailed in through the air and then turned sharply off the ground.

None of the batsmen showed fight apart from Reeza Hendricks and Moeen Ali

Undoubtedly relishing the opportunity to bowl in his home conditions, Maharaj (2/17) took a second wicket the next over, clean bowling Ronan Herrmann after the rookie attempted a disastrous reverse sweep.

With only Reeza Hendricks (38) and Moeen Ali (36) providing any kind of resistance, the Super Kings, who have lost their last three games, were never able to bounce back from their early losses. DSG seamers Richard Gleeson (2/22) and Reece Topley (3/19) finished the job at the backend to dismiss the visitors for just 108.

With just two days to rest, the Super Kings take on the Paarl Royals, the only other undefeated team in Season 2, at Boland Park on Wednesday, while the Super Giants will take on the Pretoria Capitals on January 18.

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