Stars thump the Giants
A SECOND successive T20 century by Reeza Hendricks was the impressive cornerstone for Jozi Stars, as they trounced the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants by 81 runs, to end another intriguing week of the Mzansi Super League yesterday.
The win saw the Stars leap into third place on the table, still behind the men from PE, but ominously placed for a charge in the final fortnight of the competition.
Hendricks’ sensational 108 not out came from 62 balls, and was another supremely paced bit of batting.
Even as wickets fell around him, the Proteas ace kept his head and gave his bowlers a mighty target to defend. He became just the seventh batsman in the history of T20 cricket to score back-to-back centuries, and just the second South African.
The Giants’ Marco Marais achieved the feat in the Africa T20 Cup earlier in the season.
Hendricks was brutal on anything full and straight, presenting a swatting blade that looked like it couldn’t miss.
The Stars eventually amassed 173/3 in their overs, with Hendricks doing the bulk of the scoring.
Even on a belter of a St George’s Park wicket, and a stunning day in the bay, it looked a tall order for the Giants to overcome.
The prime reason for that was a man by the name of Kagiso Rabada. Fresh from demolishing the Durban Heat top-order on Friday night, Rabada was again in miserly mood.
He gave away just eight runs in his four overs, with two key wickets. The throttling effect from the spearhead saw the Giants middle-order crumble under the mounting run-rate required, and Dwaine Pretorius helped himself to 3/17 in his spell.
There were also two wickets for Eddie Leie and Beuran Hendricks, who closed out the match by castling Aaron Phangiso.
That saw the Giants rolled over for just 92, in 16.4 overs. The competition’s biggest defeat in terms of runs will hurt their net run-rate, while the Jozi Stars also picked up their second straight bonus point in the process.
As the tournament heads towards the home stretch, those extra points will prove crucial, as the chasing pack behind the Cape Town Blitz looks very congested.
One factor that has certainly added to the intrigue of the tournament has been the massive impact made by Proteas in the form sides. The Paarl Rocks and the Jozi Stars may have had slow starts, but they are now both looking like strong contenders, headlined by some serious performances from their national players.
Hendricks picked up the Man of the Match award, as he and the Stars made a quality Giants team look very ordinary – in front of their own fans and their band.