The coach says the big hitter has learnt a lot about his game during the SA20 competition.
Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has labelled Dewald Brevis ‘a massive player for us” ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting soon in India and Sri Lanka.
The 22-year-old middle-order batter from the Pretoria Capitals has enjoyed an up-and-down SA20 competition, but he’s played two key knocks in the latter stages to give Conrad, and the rest of South Africa, a lot of hope he will come off at the World Cup tournament starting February 7.
In the Pretoria Capitals’ SA20 match against the Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers on January 17, the Capitals were in all sorts of trouble at 7/5 after 4.5 overs but a solid 53 off 47 by Brevis (and a brilliant 74 not out off 50 by Sherfane Rutherford) got the Capitals to a score of 143/6, which was enough to win them the game.
Then, in the first qualifier, against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape last Wednesday, Brevis hit a scintillating 75 not out off 38 balls to steer his team to victory, and a place in the final, against the same Sunrisers at Newlands on Sunday.
‘About making an impact’
Those two knocks, to go with Brevis’ swashbuckling 125 off 56 balls for the Proteas against Australia in Darwin last August is proof enough for Conrad that Brevis is a potential match-winner for the Proteas.
“He’s always been a massive plyer for us,” said Conrad this week.
“I remember watching the [Capitals’] 7/5 game … sometimes the situation of the game forces you into doing your business in a certain way, and in so doing, you then start learning a bit about how the game works, and your own game, and how you need to adapt etcetera, etcetera.
“There’s a lot been said about Dewald and how he’s gone about it [this SA20 season], but we forget sometimes that he’s also got a 100 for us against Australia, so he must be doing a lot right.
“Again, it’s the nature of T20 cricket … it’s a high intensity game, and it’s about making an impact, and that’s what Dewald sets out to do.
“The last couple of games have been great for him, in that the game has taught him a few things and he’s been able to adapt, and the biggest learning is what he’s able to do once he’s given himself a chance. On one day it’s an over or three, on another day it’s three deliveries.
“But it’s wonderful to see him winning games for his side.”
Impact for Capitals
Brevis has come under fire for getting out cheaply in matches and his being vulnerable to the bouncer.
But no one can take away the fact when he gets in and gives himself a chance, as Conrad says, he’s a match-winner.
In the SA20 so far, with just the final to go, Brevis has scored the seventh-most number of runs, with a strike-rate of 149. He’s hit 23 sixes and 12 fours.
“I’ve chatted to Keshav [Maharaj, the Capitals captain] and he’s been thrilled with the way Dewi’s gone about his business. He’s also made mention of the impact that someone like Sourav Ganguly [the Capitals coach and former Indian captain] has had on him, and that’s wonderful to know.
“I’ll certainly also be tapping into Polly [Capitals assistant coach Shaun Pollock] just to glean some ideas of how they went about things, but it’s wonderful to see Dewi deliver performances that match his price tag.”
Brevis was sold at the SA20 auction for a whopping R16.5 million.
