MSL 2018 Match 24: Cape Town Blitz vs Paarl Rocks, Preview and Playing XI
Cape Town Blitz will aim to seal a playoff berth when they go up against the Paarl Rocks in the 24th fixture of Mzansi Super League 2018 at the Newlands in Cape Town on Friday, December 7.
In their previous meeting on November 25, Paarl Rocks secured a comfortable five-wicket win. After opting to bat first, the Blitz posted 140 on the scoreboard which proved to be insufficient in the end as Rocks overhauled the target with seven balls to spare.
Cape Town Blitz
Cape Town Blitz find themselves at the top of the MSL 2018 points table with 25 points in their eight MSL games. The Blitz will be keen on returning to winning ways after a heavy defeat in their previous encounter against Jozi Stars.
Batting
Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan are going through a supreme run and are among the league's top three batsmen with 228 and 279 runs respectively. These two are expected to take the Blitz off to a flier. The team's middle order including skipper Farhaan Behardien and Dawid Malan failed to perform in the previous encounter against Jozi Stars and the team will expect healthy contributions from them.
Bowling
Dale Steyn has been their key wicket taker this season and picked eight wickets in six matches. He is expected to pose a major threat to Rocks. While Nandre Burger too has been impressive with five wickets in two matches and he was the pick of the bowlers last time against Jozi Stars. Except these two, they will also bank on the likes of Mohammad Nawaz, who has a decent economy rate of 6.78.
Expected Playing XI
Farhaan Behardien (C), Asif Ali, Kyle Verreynne, Andile Phehlukwayo, Mohammad Nawaz, Dale Steyn, Malusi Siboto, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Janneman Malan, and Dawid Malan.
Paarl Rocks
Paarl Rocks are currently ranked fourth in the MSL 2018 points table after winning three and losing four out of their seven league encounters. They will be under more pressure, as a loss here will make their playoff chances hanging by a thread.
Batting
Faf du Plessis has been the most consistent performer with the bat so far for Paarl Rocks. The skipper scored a half-century in the reverse encounter against Cape Town Blitz and he will be eager to replicate it. While the team will also expect a strong contribution from Aiden Markram and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who have scored 131 and 107 runs in the tournament so far. If Paarl are to come out on top, it is important that these two come out with their best against Blitz.
Bowling
Bjorn Fortuin and Dane Paterson have all bowled well and the Rocks will be counting on them to deliver the goods once again. Both played a vital role in the reverse fixture against Blitz and shared seven wickets between them. These two will be backed by skipper to replicate their show and provide few wickets upfront. While Tabraiz Shamsi and Dwayne Bravo are other bowlers with the ability to thrash any lineup on their day.
Expected Playing XI
Faf du Plessis (C), Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Mangaliso Mosehle, Dwayne Bravo, David Wiese, Bjorn Fortuin, Dane Paterson, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tshepo Moreki, Aiden Markram and Cameron Delport.