Ken Borland

Kyle Verreynne made the highest ever SA20 score in the most unlikely of circumstances at SuperSport Park on Thursday night: His magnificent 116 not out off 52 balls was in a losing cause and it came after the Pretoria Capitals had crashed to 42 for six. The wicketkeeper has also not always been rated the most effective T20 player, but he clobbered seven fours and nine sixes and bristled afterwards at suggestions that this was something new in his game for the shortest format.

Verreynne’s astonishing innings miraculously prevented MI Cape Town from pulling off a bonus point win that seemed inevitable after they took six wickets in the powerplay while defending a mammoth total of 248 for four.

And it is a crucial bonus point because it keeps Pretoria Capitals alive in the competition, despite their woeful display in Centurion in their penultimate game. They play MI Cape Town again at Newlands on Saturday and, trailing them by just three points on the log, they know victory will put them in the qualifiers as long as high-flying Durban Super Giants beat Joburg Super Kings on the same day.

Verreynne had a T20 career strike-rate of 127.53 before this match, with three fifties in 48 innings, and the Pretoria Capitals only included him in their XI from their fourth game this season. But however he does it, he gets the runs on the board and is one of those cricketers blessed with tremendous temperament; he seems to lift his game to a new level when the pressure is on.

“It’s pretty sick that I’ve got the highest score and to score my maiden hundred is really special. I feel like my red-ball game is sorted, but T20 has been a bit of a monkey on my back,” Verreynne said after the Pretoria Capitals lost by 34 runs.

“But scoring 72 not out in my first game of the season against JSK and now a century has given me lots of confidence. But all the coaches I have ever had have never questioned my technique or boundary-hitting ability. Those who question it don’t know cricket.

“I went to Wynberg Boys High and that school instils in you that you must keep fighting even when the chips are down. Nothing comes easy at that school. Pressure is a mother going to work at 5am and coming home at 9pm to provide for her kids, playing cricket is not really pressure and that’s why I stay calm,” Verreynne said.

If you had offered Verreynne and the Pretoria Capitals an eventual total of 214 for eight, especially after he had watched Nuwan Thushara bowl Rilee Rossouw, Colin Ackermann and Shane Dadswell for ducks in the space of nine deliveries, it would have been one of those deals that was too good to refuse.

Even though Wayne Parnell (23) helped him add 78 off 49 deliveries for the seventh wicket, an SA20 record, the home side were still languishing on 129 for eight after 15 overs, needing 70 more runs off 30 balls just to prevent conceding the bonus point.

With Adil Rashid providing great support with 21 not out off 14 deliveries, Verreynne got them there with four balls to spare! Fifteen runs were taken off debutant Nealan van Heerden’s last over, Verreynne then hit the previously-terrifying Thushara for 23 in the 18^th over, Rabada went for 18 in the penultimate over and Verreynne finished in style with 22 off the final over bowled by Sam Curran.

“Obviously we wanted to win, but we realised pretty quickly that realistically we weren’t going to do that, but giving them a bonus point would mean we were basically out of the competition,” Verreynne said.

“So we just kept 199 in mind and getting more than 200 will give us a lot of confidence as a batting unit. And it’s crazy to think that we lost but we still go to Cape Town with a genuine chance of making the playoffs.

“So it felt like a win afterwards, we knew getting 200 keeps us in the competition even if it was a really daunting target. So the mood in the changeroom was that it was a small victory we will take and the positivity is definitely there. We are still in with a chance of winning the competition, so we can’t be too down,” Verreynne said with typical tenacity.

Temba Bavuma

Age: 32
Role: right-hand batter
T20I matches: 28
Runs: 565 (23.54 ave)
High score: 72
Strike-rate: 116.49

A gritty competitor who will be out to prove the rest of the world wrong when it comes to criticism of his T20 game and his low strike-rate.

Quinton de Kock

Age: 29
Role: wicketkeeper/left-hand batter
T20I matches: 72
Runs: 2032 (32.25 ave)
High score:  79*

Strike-rate: 134.12

A powerful hitter and excellent strokemaker whose innings are usually populated with a high percentage of boundaries, especially in the opening powerplay.

Aiden Markram

Age: 27
Role: right-hand batter/off-spinner
T20I matches: 26
Runs: 780 (41.05 ave)
High score: 70

Strike-rate: 151.16

Wickets: 6 (24.66 ave)

Best bowling: 3/21

Economy: 7.40

A classically elegant batsman who has now found his niche in the middle-order; he scores all around the wicket, but extra cover to long-on is his strongest area. His improving off-spin is a valuable second string to his bow and brings sixth-bowler balance to the team.

Rilee Rossouw

Age: 32
Role: left-hand batter
T20I matches: 21
Runs: 558 (37.20 ave)
High score: 100*

Strike-rate: 152.87

A potential matchwinner for the Proteas who has played for numerous teams in global T20 leagues, an extremely dangerous batsman.

David Miller

Age: 33
Role: left-hand batter
T20I matches: 107
Runs: 2069 (33.91 ave)
High score: 106*
Strike-rate: 145.49

‘This guy can hit the ball out of the ground, I tell ya!,’ is perhaps what Tony Greig would have said about South Africa’s ace finisher, who is in superb form at the moment.

Reeza Hendricks

Age: 33
Role: right-hand batter
T20I matches: 48
Runs: 1372 (29.82 ave)
High score: 74

Strike-rate: 125.41

Revitalised as a white-ball cricketer and now one of the hottest T20 batsmen South Africa has; now how to fit him in the starting XI?

Heinrich Klaasen

Age 31
Role: wicketkeeper/right-hand batter
T20I matches: 36
Runs: 651 (25.03 ave)
High score: 81

Strike-rate: 147.61

Powerful and good against spin, Klaasen can help build a partnership and also smite a few boundaries in quick time; an accomplished finisher but currently playing second-fiddle to Miller and Stubbs.

Tristan Stubbs

Age: 22
Role: right-hand batter
T20I matches: 9
Runs: 142 (28.40 ave)
High score: 72

Strike-rate: 191.89

Our newest batting sensation, if he stays at the crease for any length of time he takes the game away from the opposition; a phenomenal talent waiting to explode on the biggest stage.

Tabraiz Shamsi

Age: 32
Role: left-arm wrist-spin bowler
T20I matches: 57
Wickets: 69 (21.42 ave)
Best bowling: 5/24

Economy: 7.15

There may have been thoughts about Shamsi not making the XI after his rough time in India, but he immediately bounced back to his best when he arrived in Australia, bamboozling New Zealand in their warm-up match. Always difficult for the batsmen to read, attacking him is not easy due to the uncertainty he creates by spinning the ball both ways.

Keshav Maharaj

Age: 32
Role: Left-arm orthodox spin bowler
T20I matches played: 21
Wickets: 19 (27.15 ave)
Best bowling: 2/21

Economy: 7.18

An extremely accurate and skilful spinner who just never disappoints; the Proteas are blessed with one of the strongest spin attacks thanks to the control and cunning of Maharaj and the striking ability of Shamsi. South Africa are in trouble if they need runs from him, but Maharaj can hit big.

Lungi Ngidi

Age: 26
Role: right-arm fast bowler
T20I matches: 32
Wickets: 51 (18.52 ave)
Best bowling: 5/39

Economy: 8.91

Bowls with seam movement and bounce up front to take wickets in the first powerplay, and with excellent skill and variation at the death; his talents are needed alongside the greater pace of the other quick bowlers.

Anrich Nortje

Age: 28
Role: right-arm fast bowler
T20I matches: 24
Wickets: 24 (24.79 ave)
Best bowling: 3/8

Economy: 7.50

His sheer pace brings the fire to the Proteas attack and he will rattle a few cages on the firm Australian pitches. Can go for a few runs, but likely to take crucial wickets as well.

Kagiso Rabada

Age: 27
Role: right-arm fast bowler
T20I matches: 49
Wickets: 54 (27.64 ave)
Best bowling: 3/20

Economy: 8.42

Has already made his mark in the eight T20 World Cup matches he has played, taking 13 wickets. So accurate up front, and skilful enough to extract whatever assistance there is in the pitch; when he finds his range at the death, then his yorkers are deadly. Has contributed valuable runs in the past.

Wayne Parnell

Age: 33
Role: left-arm fast bowler/left-hand batsman
T20I matches: 48
Wickets: 52 (25.00 ave)
Best bowling: 5/30

Economy: 8.28

Runs: 163 (27.16 ave)

High score: 29*

Strike-rate: 102.51

A welcome returnee to the Proteas set-up after his dark days in the squad in the past. He can swing it whether it’s a red ball or white, to deadly effect up front and could be in his element with Australia having a wet summer. A lovely freeflowing batsman when set, he can hit a mean long ball.

Marco Jansen

Age: 22

Role: left-arm fast bowler/right-hand batsman

T20I matches: 1

Wickets: 1 (38.00 ave)

Best bowling: 1/38

Economy: 9.50

Runs: 12 (12.00 ave)

High score: 12

Strike-rate: 70.58

The more advanced of the twin Jansen bros from Potchefstroom, Jansen has firmly established himself in the Proteas red-ball squad and was a late replacement for Dwaine Pretorius in the T20 World Cup squad. Will add yet more pace and bounce to the bowling attack, but also left-arm variation. Has impressed with the bat on several occasions.

The Bulls are obviously going though a period of introspection after successive losses on tour but the belief of the team is still there according to backline player David Kriel and technical analyst John-William Meyer.

The Bulls not only lost 35-21 to Glasgow Warriors and 31-17 to Munster, but played poorly on both occasions, the lack of intensity in their performance being particularly concerning. They now face a tricky match against Benetton in Treviso on Friday night.

“It’s been a time of self-reflection for us and we’re asking ourselves how physical we were, are we satisfied with our individual performances?” Kriel said.

“We are obviously a much better team than we showed these last couple of weeks, but we’re getting scars in terms of where the tour is going.

“That’s enough motivation on its own to end on a high note against Benetton this weekend,” Kriel, one of the few players to shine for the Bulls last weekend against Munster, said.

“In terms of morale, the group trust the process and it’s the players that enforce that,” Meyer said. “They come up with plans X, Y and Z, and there’s been no need for management to intervene.

“The players are all still positive and they believe in what they are doing. But we ask questions like ‘Did we execute our plan?’, ‘how many opportunities were there and why weren’t they taken?’” Meyer said.

The good news for the Bulls is that their match against Benetton will not be played on a 4G pitch but on normal grass, and the heat in Italy will make a welcome change to the wet and cold of the United Kingdom.

But Benetton still play at a cracking pace, Meyer saying they have the second-fastest game in the United Rugby Championship, behind log-leaders Leinster.

“Benetton are also very physical and good on defence, knocking you back,” Meyer added. “Their kicking game will definitely be a challenge as they try to expose the space behind us.

“They also have a lot of variety on attack and we’ve seen some sneaky moves inside the 22 which we have not seen before.

“What will also put our defence under pressure is when we kick inaccurately, that puts your defensive structure under huge pressure,” Meyer said.

Dale Steyn believes Kagiso Rabada is “our best player, the leader of the attack”, but South Africa’s most prolific wicket-taker is still sure the Proteas can win the first Test against England starting at Lord’s on Wednesday even without their spearhead.

Rabada is apparently making good progress after an ankle injury, and while he is bowling again, there is still some concern over whether his workloads have been enough to get him through five days of Test cricket.

“KG is the leader of our attack, our best player and most experienced bowler,” Steyn told The Citizen. “Obviously we want him out on the park, KG gets wickets even when he’s not bowling because batsmen play our other bowlers differently.

“KG just has that presence and x-factor, but I’m certain we can still win without him. Other guys will have to step up, but the Duke ball does enough for us.

“If we are going all-out attack then Anrich Nortje has the pace and he can be used in short bursts to really attack. But for me, our most consistent bowler is Lungi Ngidi.

“The two best bowlers in England for years and years have been Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. They don’t have the speed to scare anybody, but they use the ball so well, they have incredible skills and they know how to use the pitches.

“Lungi is straight in between those two in terms of skills and getting bounce,” Steyn said.

According to Steyn, South Africa have another trump card who also might not take the field at Lord’s in Simon Harmer. The off-spinner arrived in England five years ago on a Kolpak deal and has become a much beloved player for Essex, taking 354 wickets in just 73 matches at an average of only 20.65, leading them to a handful of trophies and being widely acknowledged as the best bowler in county cricket.

“I’m sure our captain, Dean Elgar, is in Simon’s ear having lots of discussions because he has played plenty of county cricket and will provide incredible information on what the pitches will do.

“Simon has done so well there, has played the most county cricket out of anyone in the squad, but whether he gets picked or not will depend on conditions.

“Keshav Maharaj, as a left-armer, provides other options and can hold up an end or take wickets. Normally we play a waiting game, but if England are going to bat so aggressively then we won’t have to be that patient.

“If the wickets are doing something, then England playing with an aggressive mindset will increase our chances of taking wickets. Our fielding will also have to be really good to take the different types of catches that could come,” Steyn said.