Joburg Super Kings make royal start to SA20 campaign in Durban

At 27/4 at the end of the PowerPlay, the Joburg Super Kings appeared to be not so much in deep water as in the contaminated stuff that recently made its way into the waters of KZN.

Somehow, though, they came out of the contest smelling like roses after gradually clawing their way back into a contest that seemed lost inside the opening half-hour.

They beat Durban's Super Giants by 16 runs in a SA20 match they refused to give up on after receiving blows to the gut in both PowerPlays.

Their batters played with a chronic lack of conviction in the PowerPlay but their poor start wasn't terminal. Sure, the pitch then was slow but they were mostly undone by spinners, though not by prodigious spin, but drift.

Du Plessis brings calm

Visiting skipper Faf du Plessis, however, dropped anchor and found a willing and thoroughly capable ally in Donavon Ferreira, who set about altering the course of the innings, and indeed the match.

While Du Plessis went about his business with a measured hand, the fearless Ferreira was pulling the levers of a wrecking ball. When a delivery was there to be hit, he did so with raging authority and, on occasions when a scoring opportunity was less obvious, he also clobbered it.

For a part-timer who works in sales and marketing, Ferreira now finds himself in the market to do bigger things.

When Du Plessis tried to up the ante he fell to a catch in the deep but it brought Romario Shepherd to the crease. Ferreira made Shepherd follow him en route to a 87-run stand off 36 balls for the sixth wicket.

It proved a game-changer as the visitors posted 190/6.

Durban's Super Giants used their PowerPlay far more productively, racing to 65/0.

De Kock falls short

Quinton de Kock led the way bringing up his 50 when he clobbered a hip-high full toss from Aaron Phangiso over the fence.

De Kock was particularly brutal on the leg side, finding the fence with regularity between cow corner and long leg.

There is a school of thought that the classy left-hander should be lured out of Test match retirement, and there is little doubt a player of his stature can only enhance the national cause. He can play at the highest level in every format but whether he would want to join the stricken SAS Protea is another matter.

De Kock was keenly aware of his responsibility while he was at the crease. His opening stand with Kyle Mayers stood in contrast to the PowerPlay at the start of the JSK innings.

They set about the bowling with alacrity and must have shocked the living daylights out of motorists with blows that didn't just clear the boundary but the limits of the ground.

It certainly got the crowd buzzing.

Enthusiastic crowd

As was the case at Newlands in the competition's opener, a sizeable, enthusiastic crowd pitched up, though the sea of blue flags lent the occasion the look of a DA rally. To be fair, the sedate start of the JKS did little to convince that this was in fact a T20 match. The sight of a near full Kingsmead is of course rare. Durbanites generally indulge in other pursuits when there is a big game in town.

Their mood gradually shifted.

Mayers got the ultimate reprieve in the second over of the chase. Compatriot Alzarri Joseph blitzed one down at 150km/h and induced a nick to the keeper but with the batter halfway off the field umpire Adrian Holdstock signalled no-ball. Another life, a run and a free hit.

Joseph followed up with a yorker and the mini-crisis was averted.

The openers put on 98 in 11 overs before Mayers was stumped for 39.

When Action-Man Ferreira caught and bowled De Kock for 78 off the leading edge, the hosts' challenge started to fizzle.