Johannesburg — South Africa’s new batting hero will be the big act in the Cricket SA T20 Challenge final in Potchefstroom on Saturday in which the Titans, from Tshwane, face the Dolphins from Durban.
A competition that had mostly played out anonymously in front of only a few hundred fans at the JB Marks Oval over the last three weeks suddenly captivated SA and the cricket world’s attention on Monday due to 19-year-old Dewald Brevis.
His 162 off 57 balls got social media aflutter and diverted focus away from the T20 World Cup taking place in Australia. That encounter between the Titans and Knights saw a world record aggregate of runs, and undoubtedly Viacom18, the new investors in the SA20, would have been happy about the product they now have on their schedule. If that’s what SA cricket can provide, while the Proteas are missing, imagine what January will bring, they must be thinking.
SA20 commissioner, Graeme Smith, emphasized the importance of the arrangement with the Indian broadcast partner, noting how the length of it – 10 years — indicated the trust and desire that Viacom18 had in the league. “It’s quite rare for a stand-alone league to attract investments like we have, where people believe in the product, they think it will be something of value,” said Smith. “Everyone focuses on the economics, but for us it’s about the partnerships.”
Smith addressed another extremely crucial point. “We tried incredibly hard to find agreements that allow us to build the league out. With SuperSport, – (we have) a 10-year deal, now there’s this 10-year deal in India. It allows you to focus on the product and to produce the best cricket competition that you can.”
The CSA T20 Challenge has undoubtedly delivered some of what Smith indicated, particularly in terms of gaining attention in the way Brevis did.
There will be more eyes on Saturday’s final as a result and while it may create pressure on the teenager’s shoulders, it will also raise the other players, who will want to perform, knowing there is a somewhat greater audience.
Brevis will be in the spotlight, but as the Titans demonstrated in their semi-final victory over the Knights and throughout the competition, in which they have lost only once, they have depth and variety throughout their roster.
Theunis de Bruyn, Sibonelo Makhanya, and Neil Brand provide a solid middle order, while Donovan Ferreira, who was acquired for R5.6 million in the South Africa Twenty20 auction, is one of the most lethal “finishers” in the local game.
In addition to Brand’s underappreciated left-arm spin, the bowling is spearheaded by the dexterity of seasoned spinners Aaron Phangiso and Simon Harmer, who have dominated the middle periods in the field.
Despite being underdogs, the Dolphins are aware that they have a rising star of their own in Grant Roelofson, who has been more consistent than Brevis in the competition and is now the league’s leading run-scorer.
Keegan Petersen, Khaya Zondo, Jon-Jon Smuts, and captain Prenalen Subrayen are all very experienced, and they have a talented group of quicks in Eathan Bosch, Ottneel Baartman, and Daryn Dupavillon.
It is an enticing final that concludes a competition that has demonstrated the strength of South African cricket, which makes it an attractive investment.
@shockerhess