TWS vs DBH Team Previews
Tshwane Spartans
T20 cricket often gets a lot of flack about being a batsman’s game but it is the bowling that can decide the fortunes of a side. The Tshwane Spartans had put together a pretty decent batting lineup but its bowling was perhaps the weakest in the competition. As a result, they continued to struggle and had to depend on the other team making mistakes.
In the last game, a lack of quality bowlers allowed van der Dussen and then Dan Christian to massacre the attack and post a total that was never going to be chased.
The Tshwane Spartans would be wary of meeting the same fate against a strong Durban Heat side.
Dean Elgar was the only bowler that went for less than 10 an over in the last game as everyone from Frylinck to Jeevan Mendis was taken to the cleaners. It was also very strange to see Mendis bowl only two overs even when he has been the best bowler for the Spartans in the MSL by far.
Tshwane Spartans were supposed to be a force because of the presence of AB de Villiers but he never came to the party. His batting was out of sorts, his captaincy was extremely questionable, and he struggled to have any impact on the game.
It was Cloete that ended up being the best batsman for the Spartans and hopefully, he will be able to score some big runs to end the tournament on a high. It appears as if the Tshwane Spartans have achieved as much as they were going to be able to in the Mzansi Super League based on the squad they put together.
Tshwane Spartans Playing 11
Andrea Agathangelou, Gihahn Cloete, Sean Williams, AB de Villiers, Eoin Morgan, Tony de Zorzi, Rory Kleinveldt, Sikandar Raza, Andrew Birch, Eldred Hawken, Lutho Sipamla.
Durban Heat
A win against the tournament’s most successful side, the Cape Town Blitz showed just why following Durban Heat has been so frustrating in this edition of the MSL. Durban Heat is packed with international talent, explosive batting, and some very dependable bowlers but the entire unit never came together.
A poor start and a string of victories derailed the Durban Heat campaign before it ever really got going.
Still, we are sure that Durban Heat fancies ending its Mzansi Super League with a win against Tshwane Spartans.
The addition of Rashid Khan to the squad has immediately added teeth to the Heat bowling attack. Rashid Khan is rated as the best T20 bowler in the world and is going to be a handful against a struggling Spartans batting.
He opened the bowling the last time around but could be held back this time until AB de Villiers comes to the crease.
The likes of Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Abbott, Merchant de Lange, and Bokako make this Heat bowling a very formidable unit.
The batting is led by David Miller, another big player that had a quiet Mzansi Super League. It was Khaya ZOndo and Morne van Wyk who led the way in the last game and we are sure they will bat in the top order once again. Erwee has also been in the runs and there is no doubting the class of Hashim Amla or Heinrich Klaasen.
There is certainly more than enough in this batting lineup to be able to overcome the Tshwane Spartans.
Here is the thing, though. Hashim Amla and Heinrich Klaasen have had a really poor run while David Miller has struggled for consistency as well. Durban Heat has a lot of players on its team list that have not lived up to expectations. These names can sometimes lead to the market overvaluing the team even though the current form is not too good.
Durban Heat Playing 11
Sarel Erwee, Mv Wyk, Hashim Amla, David Miller, Khaya Zondo, Heinrich Klaasen, K Maharaj, KY Abbott, Rashid Khan, Albie Morkel, Okuhle Cele.
We are eager to know what you think of our match predictions, if there is anything we can do better or if you want to let us know your own predictions for the match.