Match 17 of the Mzansi Super League, on Saturday, will see the Tshwane Spartans taking on the Cape Town Blitz at their home ground in Centurion. The hosts haven't had the best of starts to the tournament with just two wins in five games. The visitors, on the other hand, have had a very good run in the tournament having won four out of their six games thus far with one of them being washed out by rain. The last time these two teams locked horns at Cape Town, the Blitz emerged victorious by 49 runs, giving the visitors a mental edge coming into this match.
The Spartans will depend on the likes of Gihahn Cloete, Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers to put up good scores on the board. The trio have been in very good form at the top of the order. Their bowling heavily depends on Lutho Sipamla and Jeevan Mendis as other bowlers haven't been up to the mark thus far.
The Blitz, however, look balanced on both batting and bowling fronts. Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock, Farhaan Behardien and Asif Ali have been amongst the runs for them whereas the bowling charge has been led by the likes of Dale Steyn and George Linde. While Anrich Nortje's withdrawal from the tournament is a setback for them, they have enough talent in their ranks to come out on top.
Weather and Pitch Conditions: Clear skies. No chance of rain. The previous game played here recorded a
Match 17 of the Mzansi Super League, on Saturday, will see the Tshwane Spartans taking on the Cape Town Blitz at their home ground in Centurion. The hosts haven't had the best of starts to the tournament with just two wins in five games. The visitors, on the other hand, have had a very good run in the tournament having won four out of their six games thus far with one of them being washed out by rain. The last time these two teams locked horns at Cape Town, the Blitz emerged victorious by 49 runs, giving the visitors a mental edge coming into this match.
The Spartans will depend on the likes of Gihahn Cloete, Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers to put up good scores on the board. The trio have been in very good form at the top of the order. Their bowling heavily depends on Lutho Sipamla and Jeevan Mendis as other bowlers haven't been up to the mark thus far.
The Blitz, however, look balanced on both batting and bowling fronts. Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock, Farhaan Behardien and Asif Ali have been amongst the runs for them whereas the bowling charge has been led by the likes of Dale Steyn and George Linde. While Anrich Nortje's withdrawal from the tournament is a setback for them, they have enough talent in their ranks to come out on top.
Weather and Pitch Conditions: Clear skies. No chance of rain. The previous game played here recorded a high scoring encounter and the same is expected this time as well.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Quinton de Kock (Price: 10.5 Cr)
De Kock has set the tournament on fire with swashbuckling knocks of 74 and 31 in the previous two outings. With the pitch at Centurion favouring batsmen, fireworks can be expected from him once again.
Batsman: Janneman Malan (Price: 8.5 Cr)
De Kock's opening partner at the Blitz is the leading run scorer in the tournament so far with two half-centuries to his name. His risk free approach to batting ensures that he scores valuable runs every time, at a good rate too. He is the best pick among batsmen in this match.
All-rounder: Jeevan Mendis (Price: 8.5 Cr)
The Sri Lankan has had a very good tournament with the ball so far. He hasn't gotten a substantial chance with the bat so far but he has set the tournament on fire with his spin bowling. He even has a four-wicket haul in this edition. You wouldn't want to miss out on him for sure.
Bowler: Dale Steyn (Price: 9 Cr)
Dale Steyn has been at his best ever since he has returned to competitive cricket. He has been amongst the wickets since his first match in the tournament and has been economical too. He is your go-to man with the ball.
Captain: Quinton de Kock
Vice-captain: Jeevan Mendis
