T20 Challenge: Five players who stood tall and proud

The CSA T20 Challenge came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday with the Boland Rocks upsetting the odds to beat the Northern Titans and lift their first piece of silverware in their first season in the top division of South African cricket.

It was a superb comeback from the Rocks who started the tournament with losses against Western Province and the Titans, before gaining sweet revenge by beating both in the semi and final to lift the trophy.

A number of players stood out over the tournament, from the careful and experienced to the young and exciting. These men cracked the top five.

Pieter Malan

Captain fantastic Pieter Malan had a brilliant tournament and against the odds led his side to a superb first A division title. Malan finished as the competition’s top run scorer, with 368 runs at an average of 46 and strike rate of 118.7, while striking five half centuries.

He also finished as the leading catcher in the tournament with 11 catches in nine games. But it was in the knockouts that he really came to the fore as he was named man-of-the-match in the semi and final. He scored a run-a-ball 57 and took three catches against Western Province and scored 71 off 56 and took two catches in the final against the Titans.

Tabraiz Shamsi

It was tough to pick between Proteas spinning maestro Tabraiz Shamsi and Ziyaad Abrahams, after the latter man picked up an incredible 12 wickets in five games at an average of 11.5 and strike rate of 8.9, but Shamsi shaded it due to his performances in the knockouts.

Shamsi ended as the tournament’s top wicket taker with 13 in nine games at an average of 19 and strike rate of 16.6. But it was in the semi and final where he shone, picking up a hattrick, with figures of 3/15 in the semi against the Dolphins, and then 3/20 in the final against the Rocks, but ended up on the losing team.

Tristan Stubbs

Despite his team not making the knockouts on their home turf, Tristan Stubbs was undoubtedly the breakout star of the CSA T20 competition. Twenty-one-year-old Stubbs is in just his second season with the Warriors and was slowly establishing himself, only to burst into prominence with some devastating batting in the group stages.

He ended as the tournament’s second highest run scorer with 293 runs in seven games at an average of 48.83 and an incredible strike rate of 183.12. He hammered a competition high 23 sixes, 10 more than the second best, and cracked a career best 80 not out off just 31 balls.

He has even shifted himself into the Proteas T20 frame ahead of the World Cup later in the year.

Hardus Viljoen

Hardus Viljoen was arguably the form all-rounder in the CSA T20 tournament and helped his side claim a maiden first division title. More known for his bowling exploits than his batting, Viljoen picked up nine wickets in six innings at an average of 18.44 and strike rate of 12.6.

On the batting front he faced six innings, ending not out in three, while scoring 97 runs at an average of 32.33. However it was in the final where he truly shone, smashing an invaluable 32 off 16 balls with the bat to help get his side to a decent, if below par, total, and then helped them defend it by picking up 2/14 in three overs with the ball.

Christoffel Klijnhans

CP Klijnhans, at 22-years-old, made his professional debut for the Knights in the CSA T20 competition and established himself as a player for the future. Although the Knights struggled, finishing second from bottom of the log, Klijnhans was a bright spot in their campaign.

Playing just four games he finished as the Knights’ second highest run scorer with 125 runs, at their highest average of 41.66, while scoring two half centuries, although he also fell for a duck as well.

His highest score was on debut against the Warriors where he batted through the innings, scoring an unbeaten 67 to help lead them to a nine wicket win. He also showed his superb fielding prowess taking four catches, two of which were superb one handed grabs.