JOHANNESBURG – The equations for the Jozi Stars and the Tshwane Spartans for their Mzansi Super League match is a simple one; win and qualify for the playoff.
Actually, the Spartans have another match on Wednesday – against the Durban Heat – at SuperSport Park, so their equation has an addition; win again on Wednesday and qualify for the playoffs.
Tuesday’s losers will have no control of their destiny in the first edition of the MSL – in fact, the Spartans will be out of contention.
For a tournament that has struggled to capture an audience in Gauteng – certainly in terms of putting bums on stadium seats – it’s a very exciting conclusion to what has been a hectic couple of weeks of T20 cricket, so hopefully more than 3 684 people turn up to the Wanderers on Tuesday night to watch.
That was the figure that rolled through the turnstiles on Sunday morning when the Stars, off the back of a four-match winning streak, lost a very good match against the Paarl Rocks.
For all the marketing guff about dancers, fireworks, stupid tournament songs, bands and social media ‘influencers’, ultimately what will sell the Mzansi Super League is the cricket.
So, an individual battle between Kagiso Rabada of the Stars and AB de Villiers of the Spartans should entice more people to pitch up at the ‘Bullring,’ especially with so much at stake for both those players and their teams.
Rabada has gradually grown into the tournament.
He struggled initially, claiming 2/84 in his first two games, but since taking 4/27 against the Durban Heat on the last day of November, he has dominated opposing batsmen.
In four matches since that Heat game, he’s bowled 15.3 overs, conceded 83 runs and taken five wickets.
Where Rabada leads, the rest of the attacks have followed.
Duanne Olivier, who Chris Gayle described as a high quality quick bowler, is now tied with the Spartans’ Jeevan Mendis as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker on 16.
With 8 wickets in the last 3 matches, Duanne Olivier has drawn level with Jeevan Mendis on the top wicket-take's list. #MSLT20 pic.twitter.com/2UbrdXWZd7
— Mzansi Super League 🔥 🇿🇦 🏏 (@MSL_T20) December 10, 2018
Off-spinner Simon Harmer, when he hasn’t been falling over the stumps to take catches, has been quietly influential, picking up 10 wickets and conceding runs at just a little more than seven an over.
Beuran Hendricks has been very unlucky to lose his spot in the side after making a good start, in which he claimed nine wickets in six games, but the Stars have desperately needed the batting depth that Dwaine Pretorius provides.
The big focus for the Stars ahead of Tuesday’s match will be stability in the power play when they bat.
WATCH [P2/3]: Vital insight into preparing for a warm-up match at The Bullring. #JSvTS #MSLT20 #BornOfUs #VanOns #TsaRona pic.twitter.com/24gyCWf5zM
— Tshwane Spartans (@SpartansMSLT20) December 10, 2018
“Our recipe when batting is to set (the innings) up,” Rassie van der Dussen said after Sunday’s defeat to the Rocks.
In that match they lost both openers, Gayle and Reeza Hendricks, inside the power play, which badly affected how they played out the period with the fielding restrictions in the place, and how they went about setting a foundation for the big hitting they like to do later.
Gayle won’t be available for the remainder of the tournament, having headed home for his mother’s funeral.
Ryan Rickelton, who’s played superbly, will most likely resume opening the innings with Hendricks.
The Stars have scored the two highest totals in the competition – 230/3 against the Heat at the Wanderers when the scored 56/0 in the power play, and 209/2 against the Rocks in Paarl, when they registered 44/0 in the first six overs.
After 179 over 2 matches for the @CT_Blitz over the weekend, Quinton de Kock is now the leading run scorer in the #MSLT20.
— Mzansi Super League 🔥 🇿🇦 🏏 (@MSL_T20) December 10, 2018
Not losing wickets, or as Van der Dussen said, losing just one, is the objective for that period because they know that in Dan Christian and Dwaine Pretorius, they have batsmen capable of clearing the rope in the latter stages.
It’s set up for an intriguing match against the Spartans, who themselves have found some momentum as the tournament rushes to its conclusion.
They’ve won two matches in a row, and need to win their remaining two to possibly claim a playoff berth.
“The Spartans have to win and have to win well, so they will come out firing,” said Van der Dussen.
Tuesday’s match starts at 7pm.
@shockerhess