Momentum is key, stellar De Bruyn reveals
THE OPENING match of last season’s Momentum One-Day Cup holds bittersweet memories for Theunis de Bruyn.
He made 108 on what was his senior one-day debut and though the Titans set the KZN Dolphins a seemingly hefty target of 341, it was comfortably overhauled with more than eight overs to spare thanks to Morne van Wyk’s unbeaten 121.
“Ja, we gave a him a few chances,” De Bruyn muses over the dropped catches that allowed the veteran opener to get away.
Nevertheless, it was De Bruyn and the Titans who ended the competition with smiles on their faces as they claimed a stunning win at Newlands against the Cape Cobras, fighting back from 60/4 to chase down the Cobras target of 286 in the final.
De Bruyn made the biggest impression of any young batsmen on the domestic scene last summer. He built on that opening century and completed a successful first season, finishing as the fourth highest runscorer with an aggregate of 543 runs, which included two tons and two half-centuries, and averaging 60.33
Given the elegance and seeming ease with which he hits the ball, there has already been talk about De Bruyn’s future as an international player, though if that is a target of his for the coming season, he’s not saying. “I want to keep my goals to myself for now,” a smiling De Bruyn said yesterday after completing a stint in the nets at SuperSport Park. “People know me now, so obviously there is expectation.”
He was picked for the SA A side that faced the England Lions last summer and made 202 in Paarl and backed that up by scoring 161 in the next match against the tourists in Bloemfontein.
Listening to De Bruyn, it is clear that those are the types of innings’ he wants to produce more regularly in the coming season. He made over 600 runs in the Sunfoil Series last season, but a look at the 100s and 50s column reveals where he needs to improve. De Bruyn’s highest score was 95, which was one of six half-centuries. “Last year, there were times where I got in and got out and this season I want to concentrate more on capitalising on those opportunities when I get in.
“It was a successful season but in saying that it could have been better. The excuses that it’s your first year are gone now. Batting in the top order means you have a lot of responsibility, so making starts and getting big scores are important and then when I get a big score, I want to make it even bigger.”
De Bruyn is aware that as defending champions the Titans will have a target on their backs when the competition opens tomorrow at SuperSport Park against the Warriors.
“We have set the bar at a certain standard so we have to lift that bar again. If we don’t, we won’t win the title again,” said De Bruyn.
All the talk from the Titans’ camp has been about making a fast start and avoiding the stress of having to win in the last few weeks to make the play-offs. It’s a sentiment De Bruyn understands, but he’s also happy to differ with his coach and teammates.
“The coach is not going to like this; but we’ve been doing badly at the start and then we’ve come back properly at the end of the competition ... It’s good to start well, but you don’t want to get relaxed having started well and drop the intensity in the last few games. It’s the most important thing to have that momentum with you towards the end of the competition and especially the final.”