Spartans keen to dim Jozi Stars
JUKSKEI DERBY: HOME SIDE YET TO HIT THEIR STRAPS
It’s derby day in the Mzansi Super League in Gauteng today as the Tshwane Spartans host the Jozi Stars in Centurion, with the struggling Spartans hoping that it will all eventually click for them in their second home game of the competition.
Matches between the two cross-Jukskei rivals are normally spicy affairs, except this time Tshwane batting ace Theunis de Bruyn admits it doesn’t really feel like a derby and, in any case, the Spartans are targeting a return to basics rather than anything too spectacular.
“Our first game, against the Cape Town Blitz at Newlands, you could feel that whole North v South vibe, but this game doesn’t really feel like a derby, but it is a match we have to win. We haven’t been great so far, but I reckon if the team gels then we can get on a roll. We’ve been close to winning more games, but the weather hasn’t played along or we’ve just lost a big moment.
“We’re great off the field, it’s just on it we haven’t gelled, but I still feel we are emotionally good and everyone is very keen. At the moment the individual performances haven’t been good enough to carry the team when guys have found themselves in crucial moments – an over either going for 15 runs or two wickets falling.
“We’re going to look towards what the Durban Heat did to us on a strange pitch at Kingsmead, they bowled really well and were difficult to get away. It was simple but effective and we don’t have to do anything extravagant either. If you do the basics 100% then you’ll win most of your games,” De Bruyn said at SuperSport Park yesterday.
Unusually for a team coached by the steely Mark Boucher, the Spartans have lacked a ruthless edge, probably due to too many of their players having question marks over their current form.
While the Jozi Stars, third in the table, are favourites, the bottom-placed team has to make sure they pounce on any opportunity given to them to turn their fortunes around.