Gideon Peters may not have known the Pretoria Capitals surged to the top of the SA20 log after beating MI Cape Town on Monday night, but the coaching staff undoubtedly did.
After two frustrating seasons in Centurion, a high-powered coaching staff headed by Sourav Ganguly, with assistance from Shaun Pollock and Mandla Mashimbyi, have put smiles on faces at SuperSport Park, reigniting hopes of a proper title challenge this year.
While most of the attention has been on R16m signing Dewald Brevis, it has been the impact of their West Indies imports that has made a difference for a team that was runners-up in the competition’s first season.
Guyanese Sherfane Rutherford and Barbadian Shai Hope are the franchise’s leading run-scorers. Hope has been in form at the top of the order, where a record-setting 118 propelled them to victory over the Durban Super Giants last week.
Meanwhile, Rutherford has been the bane of the defending champions, delivering match-winning performances against MI Cape Town; an unbeaten 47 off 15 balls and then four wickets in Cape Town on New Year’s Eve; and Monday night’s knock of 53, which ripped the momentum the Capitals’ way.
Hope has had to make a slight adjustment to opening the batting after starting the tournament at No 3, but the century at Kingsmead, which included some brutal hitting at the end of the innings, will certainly see him locked in that position for the rest of the tournament.
He and Conor Esterhuizen shared a century stand in that clash with the Super Giants but have yet to fire at the same time. Ganguly and Co will be hoping that happens in the next two weeks, with the Capitals virtually assured of a play-off spot.
Rutherford, who was snapped up by the Capitals before the auction, has been a revelation, making three scores in the 40s before his first half-century on Monday night.
From a South African perspective, Rutherford’s success has taken some of the heat off Brevis, whose two best innings in the competition have been while sharing crucial partnerships with the 27-year-old from Guyana.
The pair added 86 off 27 balls in the Newlands thrashing of MI Cape Town, and also turned around the innings with a 69-run stand off 34 balls at SuperSport Park against the same opponents in the return fixture.
Pollock and Mashimbyi pointed to the strength of character shown by the players after they defended what looked an under-par total of 138 in Paarl last Saturday.
Brevis, who has shared a change room with Rutherford in the Caribbean League, said a “great spirit is building” among the players.
Their West Indies contingent grew on Monday when Andre Russell played his first match and took delight in dismissing another Windies star Nicholas Pooran in that bonus point win for the Capitals.
The timing of Russell’s arrival could provide an extra boost for the side as the play-offs come into focus.
Ganguly will delight in the energy the West Indies have provided to the Capitals, and the embarrassment of the last two seasons can be shelved.
The next target will be to go one step further than they did in 2023, and doing so will certainly require more Caribbean flair.
* The Joburg Super Kings confirmed on Tuesday their captain Faf du Plessis will miss the rest of the SA20 due to a right thumb ligament tear which requires surgery.
Du Plessis sustained the injury while fielding in last Saturday’s loss to MI Cape Town at the Wanderers.
Donovan Ferreira will captain the side for the rest of the tournament.
TimesLIVE
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