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Ferreira’s brutal 82 cuts Super Giants down to size

cricket11 January 2023 19:35| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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A brutal unbeaten 82 in 40 balls by Donavon Ferreira enabled the Joburg Super Kings to complete a 16-run victory over the Durban Super Giants in their Betway SA20 match at a packed Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday night.

Player of the match Ferreira not only rescued the Super Kings from a disastrous start – 27 for four in six overs – but he also had a major impact on the Super Giants’ response when he caught and bowled Quinton de Kock (78 in 52 balls) with the last ball of the 14th over.

The left-hander had played beautifully, striking five fours and five sixes, but his dismissal signalled the death knell for the Giants who never looked like reaching the visitors’ total of 190 for six after he left the field.

Needing to score at 9.5 runs an over to win, the Giants needed a good start from De Kock and West Indian Kyle Mayers if they were to pull off a win.

This they certainly got with Malusi Siboto being hammered for 22 off his opening over, including three sixes, as the capacity crowd of 13 124 screamed their encouragement.

The partnership reached 98 in the 11th over before Mayers (39 in 33 balls) was stumped by Kyle Verreynne off left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso.

But it was Ferreira who delivered the body blow as De Kock got a leading edge to a push to leg that left the bowler with a comfortable return catch.

Despite their early ascendency in the run chase, the Giants were unable to match the Kings’ electrifying finish in which they scored 74 runs in the last five overs.

Indeed, few would have predicted the visitors’ final total at the end of the first powerplay when the Kings lost four top-order wickets after they had won the toss and chosen to bat first.

The local team’s spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen, had made full use of a slow, spin-friendly surface – no surprise to cricket watchers in these parts – as Reeza Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne and Lewis Gregory all succumbed to leading edges, playing too early as they attempted to turn deliveries to leg.

And with Janneman Malan obligingly hitting a Dwaine Pretorius full toss to Wiaan Mulder at cover, the Kings were in serious trouble.

Ferreira rode his luck early on, edging boundaries over the slips, but with the calm influence of skipper Faf du Plessis at the other end, the batsmen began to stamp their authority on proceedings.

The pair had added 72 in 49 balls for the fifth wicket when Du Plessis was well caught on the wide long-on boundary for 39 in 33 balls off the bowling of the diminutive Sri Lankan offspinner, Akila Dananjaya.

But if that partnership seemed a bit racy, the scene was now set for some serious carnage as Ferreira was joined by West Indian Romario Shephard.

The pair smashed five fours and seven sixes in their 40-ball partnership of 87 as the discipline of the local bowlers fell to pieces.

Shephard was eventually yorked by fellow West Indian Jason Holder in the final over for 40 (19 balls, 2x4s, 4x6), leaving the belligerent Ferreira unbeaten on a breathless 82 (8x4s, 5x6s).

DURBAN'S SUPER GIANTS: Kyle Myers, Matthew Breetzke, Quinton de Kock (capt, wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, Jason Holder, Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Keemo Paul, Akila Dananjaya

JOBURG SUPER KINGS: Reeza Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Verreyne (wk), Lewis Gregory, Donavon Ferreira, Romario Shepherd, George Garton, Alzarri Joseph, Malusi Siboto, Aaron Phangiso

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