SA20 WEEK 1: Fireworks, drama and big hits

Extremes tend to grab sporting attention and there were plenty of eyebrow-raisers at the start of SA20 season four with a century in the opening game, a couple of four-wicket hauls and Paarl Royals demise to 43 all out, the lowest total in the tournament’s short history.

MATCH OF THE WEEK: The opener at Newlands was everything the organisers were hoping for, a high-scoring thriller on an excellent batting pitch in front of a packed Newlands. Champions against last year’s wooden spoonists. Would the rebuilt, new-look Super Giants be up to the challenge? Of course they would, winners by 15-runs in a match total of 449.

BATTER: Hard to look past Ryan Rickelton’s 113 from 63 balls with 11 sixes although it wasn’t quite good enough to get MICT over the line. Teammate Jason Smith’s 41 from 14 raised a few eyebrows in admiration. But the award actually goes to Jordan Hermann…see below.

BOWLER: Duan Jansen was resigned to watching the tournament from his sofa having been left on the ‘for sale’ shelf at the Player Auction. But when JSK needed an injury replacement Jansen responded with a career-best 4-23 to spark PC’s remarkable collapse from 71-0 to 146-9 and a JSK victory by 22-runs. Honourable mention to Anrich Nortje (3-0-13-4) in Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s 137-run demolition of Paarl Royals.

PERFORMANCE: Hermann’s 62* from 28 balls (5x4, 4x6) defied history and cricket logic leading SEC to 186-4, the third highest total at Boland Park where boundary-hitting and high scores are harder than the Drakenstein mountains overlooking the ground. For once the home side’s batsmen were intimidated by the chase and collapsed to 43 all out, the lowest total in the competition’s history.

OVERSEAS PLAYER: England’s left arm paceman, Tymal Mills, was devilishly quick in an opening spell of 3-0-6-2 finishing with 2-16 for PC against JSK. If the batsmen had kept their composure it should have been a match-winning spell. But let’s go with Devon Conway, the Kiwi from Jo’burg, who started with 64 from 33 balls at Newlands and added 24* from 13 in Durban before the rain. Promising start.

TALKING POINT:  Are South African crowds the best one-handed catchers in the world? There were two in two balls at Centurion! Betway’s R2 million could be split many ways by the time season four is over…

LOOK OUT FOR: Pretoria Capitals and Durban Super Giants almost completely rebuilt their squads at the three-year Player Auction. The former stumbled badly during a run-chase they should have bossed with R16.5 million starlet, Dewald Brevis, to the fore. Another defeat against SEC on Monday will hurt, even at this early stage. DSG, meanwhile, could go clear at the top of the log with a win against JSK on Tuesday, provided the rain stays away in Durban.