Rickelton, Malan ones to watch in MSL
Own Correspondent
The Mzansi Super League clash between the Jozi Stars and the high-flying Cape Town Blitz at Bidvest Wanderers this evening will cast the spotlight on two of South Africa’s most promising young batsmen.
Stars opener Ryan Rickelton (right) set the MSL T20 alight on Tuesday evening when the left-hander smashed 91 off just 51 balls to drive his team to a bonus-point victory over the Paarl Rocks at Boland Park.
Blitz opener Janneman Malan then showed off his talent to the nation with an equally impressive 57 off 39 balls that maintained the Cape team’s unbeaten start to the competition after three matches.
Both batsmen are still only 22 and share a similar path to the top after playing together for the SA U-19s in 2014. Malan said watching Rickelton’s innings gave him the confidence to go out and perform at Newlands against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants.
“I think maybe coming into the tournament, as young guys you don’t feel like you are one of the guys to perform. But after watching Ryan’s knock, it showed me that one of us can make an impact on a game. So when I saw it, I also felt I could do it,” Malan said.
They also both agree that play- ing alongside seasoned internationals like Malan and opening the batting with exciting Proteas opener Quinton de Kock, and Rickelton partnering West Indies legend Chris Gayle up front for the Stars, has had a major impact on them.
“It has been awesome. To walk out with Chris Gayle, the master of T20 cricket, it is something you never think is going to happen! He has helped me with things going forward,” Rickelton said, while Malan added: “A lot of the guys have played 100/200 T20 matches all around the world.
“It is not just on the field. when you’re at the hotel you can chat about how they think about the game.”
Rickelton won’t walk out to open the innings with Gayle at the Bullring due to the big Jamaican’s responsibilities at the Abu Dhabi T20s. However, the Stars have an equally dashing replacement in Proteas opening batsman Reeza Hendricks, who along with fellow Proteas Kagiso Rabada and Dwaine Pretorius will debut for the Stars.
“We have had KG, Reeza and Dwaine all come back to training, so that just picks us all up to a different level. They bring plenty of energy into the environment. KG is a good mate of mine,so I can feed off him quite easily,” Rickelton said.