Davids puts Spartans to the sword
147/6 (De Villiers 51; Udana 2/24, Shamzi 2/29)
148/2 (Davids 77*,
FAF du Plessis promised throughout the tournament that the Rocks had yet to play their “perfect” game. Well, they kept it for when it mattered most in a thoroughly onesided MSL final last night.
Bar a single dropped catch in the field, it was a clinical performance that saw them romp home by eight wickets in front of their expectant capacity home crowd.
Du Plessis’ team were certainly inspired by the home support. They delivered a master class with the ball before following it up with some inventive strokeplay, particularly from local boy Henry Davids.
Their ability to read the conditions quickly proved the difference on the night.
Tabraiz Shamsi has been sensational for the Rocks and delivered another superb performance with figures of 2/29. It should have been three scalps for the left-arm wrist-spinner, but Sibonelo Makhanya spilled a regulation chance on the deep midwicket boundary to gift AB de Villiers another chance.
Fortunately for the Rocks it was not overly generous with De Villiers only adding a further nine runs before falling for 51 off 37 balls. It was the Spartans’ only punch they threw all night.
That was in complete contrast to when the Rocks went out to bat. Instead of looking to take the game deep and haul in the meagre total at the back end, the Rocks went hard from the outset.
And none more than Davids. Born and raised just 20 minutes from the ground, and having played all his formative cricket in the winelands, the 39-year-old turned on the magic.
The stylish right-hander ensured that what could have been a nervous run-chase into cake walk. The Rocks motored to 72/0 in the powerplay, Davids smashing 56 of those runs.
If the Spartans had any fight left, that was surely the knockout blow.
Even the loss of Cameron Delport (18) could not deter the Rocks as it only opened the floodgates even further. Dwaine Pretorius celebrated his Proteas Test call-up earlier in the day with a blitzkrieg 43 off 21 balls and the Rocks were nearly home.
But like a good fairytale, it was left to Davids (77 not out off 44 balls) and captain Du Plessis to be there at the end. It was almost ironic that Du Plessis was dropped on the final run, summing up what a horrible night it was for the men from Tshwane.
In contrast, the quaint town of Paarl will rock on for a long time still as they remember one of the famous nights this picturesque ground has ever witnessed.
The MSL may still have many teething problems but the Rocks are definitely the success story.