Sunrisers Eastern Cape all-rounder Van Der Merwe upbeat before SA20 start

With several slow bowling options at their disposal, all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe says the Sunrisers Eastern Cape have the necessary ammunition to spin their opponents into submission in the upcoming SA20 tournament.

The tournament gets under way on Tuesday at Newlands in Cape Town with a clash between Mumbai Indians Cape Town and Paarl Royals.

The Gqeberha-based team have their first match at home against Pretoria Capitals next Thursday at St George’s Park (5.30pm).

Besides the experienced Van der Merwe, the Orange Army will have the luxury of calling on captain Aiden Markram, Junaid Dawood, Mason Crane, Jon-Jon Smuts and Tristan Stubbs for their turning options.

Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, Van der Merwe was upbeat about their spin bowling stocks, saying the options could be of great benefit.

“At St George’s Park it traditionally takes some turn, so I think that is a game plan we could employ.

“Spin these days in T20 cricket is quite effective and we have all sorts of spinners, so it will be exciting to see how we go at St George’s,” the slow left-arm orthodox spinner said.

Van der Merwe, 37, comes with bags of know-how, having represented the Proteas and the Netherlands at international level and playing in more than 280 T20 matches in various competitions domestically and around the world.

In his 52 T20 international matches for both countries, he has taken 56 wickets while scoring 456 runs.

At a domestic and franchise level, the Johannesburg-born cricketer has played for sides such as the Titans, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, and Brisbane Heat in the Australian Big Bash League and other leagues, scoring 2,853 runs and taking 254 wickets in 286 matches.

Journeyman Van der Merwe said playing in the Eastern Cape was always special for him, but, as with other competitions, he had a job to do, and that was to assess conditions and try to help the team achieve positive results.

Van der Merwe was full of praise for head coach Adrian Birrell, who has worked with the Paarl Rocks and is the Hampshire mentor.

“Adi brings a lot of energy, he keeps things very simple but he is a very upbeat, passionate about the game type of guy who rubs off on the players.

“There is already a feeling that the guys want to play for him, he sits well with everyone and has great communication with everybody, so we are looking forward to it.

“We have not been together for that long, but I am sure he will spend the next few days getting the guys to gel and familiarising ourselves with each other and understanding what is ahead,” he added.

With at least six options, including himself, Van der Merwe will be a key member of the spin bowling committee within the group as he looks to impart his knowledge to younger players.

“I am getting to that stage in my career where I am nearing the end of my playing days, and I love the game, so going into coaching and helping youngsters is something I am passionate about.

“Our interactions here have been great, we are learning so much from each other, in different conditions.”

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