Vilas full of praise for his victorious Stars

JOZI STARS captain Dane Vilas says he could not have asked any more from his team after they romped to victory in the inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL) final on Sunday.

The Johannesburg team drew the curtain on South Africa’s new T20 competition by thumping the Cape Town Blitz by eight wickets at Newlands.

Led by the outstanding fast bowling trio of Kagiso Rabada (1/16), Duanne Olivier (2/32) and Man of the Match Beuran Hendricks (2/21), the visitors stunned the home batting line-up by restricting them to a sub-par 113/7 on a sluggish pitch in Cape Town.

Rassie van der Dussen, the leading run-scorer in the competition, then struck an unbeaten 59 (54 balls, eight fours, one six) to fittingly lead his side to victory with 15 deliveries to spare.

It concluded a wonderful campaign for the Stars, and captain Vilas lauded the unity and understanding that had developed in their squad during the month-long competition, saying it played a vital role in their success.

“I don’t think I could have asked anything more from my team,” said Vilas. “They turned it on in the final when it mattered most and won us the title. I have to give credit to the whole team in general, the boys were brilliant.

“It’s difficult in a tournament like this to find a good squad and guys who enjoy each other’s company and really want to be part of something special, but with us everybody from the start wanted that.

“So, thanks to the management and staff for the role they played in bringing us together, every single one of them played a critical role in our success.”

Like Vilas, Rabada felt that the camaraderie within the group was key. “It’s been amazing,” he added. “We didn’t have a great start, but when I joined the team it just felt like a good environment.”