MSL champions Jozi Stars lose — again
● The Jozi Stars slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat when the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants crushed them by nine wickets with 65 balls left.
The champions’ 108 all out was never going to be enough on a decent batting surface, but the regression of the Stars’ batting has to be a concern for coach Donovan Miller.
With Stars stone last after four games, they’ll have to win their remaining games to remain in play-off contention.
The Giants hunted down the small target with vigorous intent.
A total of 52 runs were pillaged from the first four overs with England’s ballistic Cricket World Cup winner Jason Roy (31) the only wicket to fall.
Ben Dunk (50 not out off 30) and Smuts (23 not out off 14) continued the assault, with the 100 raised in 8.2 overs. JJ Smuts then slapped Aaron Phangiso for six to end it.
Inept batting was the cause of the Stars' pain. Within five overs, they slipped to 25/3 after winning the toss and batting first.
Reeza Hendricks (six) scratched around for 11 balls before nicking to wicketkeeper Ben Dunk off Chris Morris (1/14).
Chris Gayle (11), who smote the innings’ first six off Junior Dala (3/19) off the fourth ball of the fourth over, had his leg and middle stumps detonated the very next ball by the mother of all yorkers from Dala.
At 19/2, the innings receded faster than a shoreline at low tide.
Rassie van der Dussen (four) picked out Heino Kuhn at cover off Nandre Burger to leave the hosts tottering at 25/3.
Temba Bavuma (27) and Sinethemba Qeshile (14) fashioned a 16-run recovery partnership, with the latter cracking three sparkling boundaries.
Tahir (3/23) has been playing cricket longer than the 20-year-old Qeshile has been alive and it showed when Tahir slipped a quicker one through Qeshile's defences.
Bavuma and Dan Christian (five) combined for an 18-run alliance which ended when Christian chipped a Jon-Jon Smuts delivery to Onke Nyaku at mid-on.
After 10 overs the Stars were 65/5 and an over later, Simon Harmer (six) was castled by Tahir. Gerald Coetzee (one) feathered one to Dunk off Tahir while Kagiso Rabada (one) was bowled by Dala as the hosts faltered.
With Bavuma holing out to Morris at midwicket off Dala, Phangiso (11) and Duanne Olivier (nine) offered token resistance.