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Super Giants will maintain intensity after reaching SA20 playoffs, says Breetzke
Despite their latest defeat, the Paarl Royals remain confident of progressing further in the competition.
Spin bowler Noor Ahmad celebrates a wicket for Durban’s Super Giants during their SA20 match against the Paarl Royals. Picture: SA20
While they were obviously pleased to capitalise on their fine form on Sunday, becoming the first team to book their spot in the SA20 playoffs, top-order batter Matthew Breetzke insists Durban’s Super Giants are not getting ahead of themselves.
The Super Giants thumped former log leaders Paarl Royals by 125 runs at Kingsmead, climbing six points clear at the top of the table with two matches to play in the opening round.
They were led by Breetzke, who made 78 runs as he guided his team to 208/7, and spin bowler Noor Ahmad, who took 5/11 as the visitors were bowled out for just 83 runs in the 14th over of their innings.
“At the start of the competition we told ourselves that we probably are the best in the competition, and we need to believe that and play like that,” Breetzke said after the match.
“So we’re happy to be doing that, but it’s still early days and we need to keep performing.”
Royals stumble
Though the Royals lost touch with the Super Giants in the battle for top spot in the table, assistant coach Mandla Mashimbyi was confident the Paarl side could hit back.
They remained in second place in the standings, after winning five of their eight matches thus far, and were still confident of securing one of four spots in the playoffs.
“We’ve got two games to go and hopefully someone will do us a favour as well, but the goal is still the same. We want to finish top two (in the league phase of the competition),” Mashimbyi said.
“We’re still very much in the competition. We started well and that’s starting to pay dividends for us.
“Now we just need to go back and rest, refocus and freshen up, and hopefully in our last two games we can get back to our best.”
The Super Giants are back in action today when they face Pretoria Capitals in Durban, in their penultimate match of the first round.
The Royals will enjoy a few days rest from competition. They will next face Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Paarl on Friday as they look to cement their place in the next round.
