SA20 2024: Kieron Pollard calls on MI Cape Town to get up for DSG clash

Tuesday, 23 January 2024: MI Cape Town host Durban’s Super Giants in the first match of the second half of the group stages of SA20 2024 on January 23 evening at Newlands.

MICT currently find themselves in fourth place on the log standings, with two wins from their five matches, while DSG are one place better off having claimed three wins from their first five.

Both teams are looking to bounce back from derby defeats over the weekend. MICT captain Kieron Pollard has already put the loss against Paarl Royals behind them and focused on the challenge that lies ahead.

“In this format, in every competition, from a batting perspective, each team has one of these collapses so hopefully this is the only one for us going forward. These things happen in cricket and in a tournament,” Pollard said.

“Having said that, the guys have been fantastic posting 200 and 160-plus and it’s one of these days when we didn’t strike. We just have to get up and move on – that’s what you have to do in professional sport. You can’t dwell too much and look too deep or try to divulge and over-analyse stuff and get guys in a shell … that’s not the way to go.”

There’s a similar sentiment in the Giants camp after they suffered a second successive defeat last Saturday at home against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

“We were bossing the match for most of it, up until we had 50 runs to go and then we just let it go at the end there. I think we read [the pitch] pretty spot on, it was just a lack of execution towards the end and the Sunrisers capitalised on that,” said DSG captain Keshav Maharaj.

DSG have not been at their best since the departure of Nicholas Pooran and Richard Gleeson after the first three matches, but Maharaj would have been pleased with the way all-rounder Wiaan Mulder stepped forward with a gritty half-century in the last game.

He will be hoping that Mulder can carry on his recent good form to allow impact players such as Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen to play their natural game.

“It’s brilliant to see [Mulder] take the opportunity that he had,” Maharaj said. “We always knew he had something special in him and I’m just glad he got the rewards for the hard work he’s putting in.”

FULL SQUADS FOR NEWLANDS

MI Cape Town: Kieron Pollard (captain), Tom Banton, Chris Benjamin, Dewald Brevis, Sam Curran, Connor Esterhuizen, Beuran Hendricks, Duan Jansen, Thomas Kaber, George Linde, Liam Livingstone, Delano Potgieter, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Grant Roelofsen, Olly Stone, Nuwan Thushara, Rassie van der Dussen, Nealan van Heerden.

Durban's Super Giants: Keshav Maharaj (captain), Noor Ahmad, Matthew Breetzke, Junior Dala, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Mayers, Wiaan Mulder, Naveen-ul-Haq Murid, Bryce Parsons, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jon-Jon Smuts, Jason Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Prenelan Subrayen, Reece Topley.