No joke as Rossouw's part-time spin helps Capitals reach SA20 final

Before Wednesday night’s Betway SA20 semifinal against the Paarl Royals, Rilee Rossouw had bowled just 28 balls in 287 T20 matches. 

He had taken two wickets — one of which was in a semifinal and the other had been that of Eoin Morgan, in one of the numerous T20 competitions the pair have played in.

“I spoke to the coach at practice and I kept telling him: ‘I only bowl in big games, and this is a semifinal, you can see my record, I’ve taken wickets in semifinals.’

“It started as a joke. Then tonight, Theunis asked if I wanted to bowl, I said, ‘Put me on I’m ready’,”  Rossouw remarked on Wednesday night. 

He would have the last laugh, taking a crucial wicket — that of Morgan — which put the skids on the Royals’ run chase.

“Two left-handers favours me more. I know David Miller would not want to go out to me. Eion Morgan was my first T20 wicket. It took one ball as well, so I’ve got him two in two. So, ja, gun, I felt confident,” he laughed.

So confident that he then ripped one past the inside edge of Evan Jones’ bat and should have had him trapped lbw, except Adrian Holdstock gave a favourable call the batter’s way that was upheld by the TV official. 

“The wicket favoured the spinners. It’s a pity we didn’t have another 'offie' in the team, one who can actually bowl properly,” Rossouw said. 

It won’t bother the Pretoria Capitals a jot, who claimed a 29-run victory in a match that wasn’t really decided until David Miller’s dismissal in the penultimate over.

The Capitals topped the log . Losing the services of leading run-scorer Will Jacks to England’s tour in New Zealand and skipper Wayne Parnell to a groin injury, their replacements slotted in seamlessly. 

They had to eschew the free-scoring method that brought them success at their home ground, SuperSport Park, in favour of a more workmanlike strategy on a sluggish Wanderers surface, with Rossouw setting the example with the bat too. 

“It was an attitude thing for me today, knowing I am good and I can play at this level. It was about really knuckling down and playing with a positive intent.”

He scored 56 off 41 balls hitting five fours and three sixes and the ploy to show care against the spinners paid dividends towards the end of the innings when he scored 18 runs off Lungi Ngidi’s penultimate over, including four fours.   

“It was a challenging wicket, because it was turning. 'Shammo' [Tabraiz Shamsi] bowled unbelievably well. He proved again what a world-class spinner he is.

“We knew with him, we had to play through because he was the danger man — there wasn’t a lot left for them at the back end.”

Shamsi and Bjorn Fortuin were superb for the Royals picking up a combined 3/43 in eight overs. 

Just as important for the Capitals, however, was the crafty Adil Rashid, who claimed the wickets of Paul Stirling and Dane Vilas — the latter with a sublime googly — to keep the Royals in check. 

The Capitals will await the winners of Thursday's second semifinal between the Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape who face each other at SuperSport Park.

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