Smith on Zalmi’s dynamic combination at the top
IN every form of cricket, the opening pair is vitally important to their team’s cause.
In the longer formats it is about taking the shine off the new ball in order for the middle-order to prosper. The contrast could not be bigger in T20 cricket. It is the men who stride out first, that are the kingpins of their respective teams.
They have the opportunity to face the most balls – there are only 120 in a T20 innings – but that comes with the immense responsibility of utilising them to the maximum.
A strike-rate of 100 may be spectacular in ODI cricket, but a run-a-ball is pedestrian in the shortest format of the game. The first six overs define a team’s performance.
A strike-rate in excess of 120 is the barometer, with the most celebrated T20 batsmen striking above 135.
The inaugural T20 Global League player draft has thrown together some exciting opening combinations.
The “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle and Rassie van der Dussen are set to light up Newlands together for the Cape Town Knight Riders, while Brendon McCullum and Patrick Kruger could be devastating in the thin Highveld air playing for the Joburg Giants at the Wanderers.
Hashim Amla’s T20 stature continues to grow, too, after he flayed two centuries at the recent IPL, and along with Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy hero Fakhar Zaman, the duo could inflict serious damage for the Durban Qalanders.
The Stellenbosch Monarchs did not mess about in the draft either, with Proteas T20 captain Faf du Plessis pitting together England’s Alex Hales, who recently clubbed a 30-ball 95 with Paarl hitman Henry Davids.
But it is the guys at the Benoni Zalmi that have arguably struck gold. Graeme Smith’s men were able to grab Hales’ England opening partner Jason Roy.
This sets up a potentially electrifying partnership with South Kock.
“It’s quite exciting to have a young player like Jason. He will bring exuberance to the squad,” former Proteas captain and now Zalmi coach Smith said.
“I played with Jason when I was at Surrey and got to know him pretty well. He plays his strokes aggressively at the top of the order and is also a great fielding option. There is already a dynamic combination at the top of the order for us with Quinny.”
Proteas fans would possibly most like to forget the mauling South Africa’s bowling line-up suffered in their ICC World T20 opener against eventual runners-up England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium last year when they failed to defend 229, but for the neutral it was an Africa’s Quinton de epic contest.
Both De Kock and Roy were central to their team’s batting efforts with the young Protea smashing 52 off just 24 balls.
Roy was even more brutal during his astonishing assault on Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. A 16-ball 43 was his explosive return.
The duo will benefit from having Smith’s presence in the dug out, due to the former South Africa skipper not only once being a prolific T20 opener for the Proteas, but also for Somerset in England’s T20 Blast and in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals.
“It’s still pretty new and all been a bit frantic but we all know when the openers get the team off to a good start it makes everyone’s job a whole lot easier including mine,” Smith chirped.