Joburg Super Kings (JSK) skipper Faf du Plessis has recalled legendary wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni after his team’s victory over Durban Super Giants (DSG) in a nail-biting SA20 clash. Du Plessis also said that Donovan Ferreira’s spectacular dismissal of Eathan Bosch reminded him of Dhoni’s signature fielding skills.
The Super Kings beat the Super Giants at the Wanderers on Thursday, January 1. After defending a total of 205 runs in 20 overs, the hosts kept their cool in the one-over shootout. Ferreira played a key role with both bat and ball, while Richard Gleeson delivered under pressure to secure victory in the thriller.
Donovan Ferreira’s thinking skills are super over at the Wanderers
Durban needed 15 runs from the last over to win, with Simon Harmer and Eathan Bosch at the crease. The pressure was enormous and every ball counted. They fought hard and managed to score 14 runs, leading the match until the final delivery.
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On the last ball, Mulder played outside and Harmer missed his shot. Donovan Ferreira was on the lookout behind the stumps. He had already taken off his glove, collected the ball cleanly, and threw it directly to the striker’s side.
The throw hit the stumps perfectly. Bosch was well short of his ground and the referee ruled him out. The crowd at Wanderers erupted as the match turned into a Super Over. It was a moment of pure skill and quick thinking on Ferreira’s part.
I remember a match a long time ago where MS Dhoni… – Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis says Donovan Ferreira’s match-winner took him back to a famous moment from the past involving MS Dhoni. Du Plessis revealed that he asked Mulder to play short and wide, not expecting an out, but the plan worked perfectly with smart fielding.
“(About this point from Donovan Ferreira) Yes, I remember a match a long time ago when MS Dhoni was behind the stumps for India. I think it was against Bangladesh in a World Cup and I remember, the guy threw a cut ball at him and that memory was in the back of my head. I just told Mulder to bowl short to the batter and I didn’t expect a run. So, we are playing for the points now,” du Plessis said.
The run off the track was good for us – Donovan Ferreira
Durban took the first goal in the Super Over, but Richard Gleeson kept things tight and restricted them to just five runs. Joburg pursued it without issue. Rilee Rossouw finished quickly by finding the boundary twice, sealing a home victory for the Joburg Super Kings.
Donovan Ferreira said the game became closer than the team would have liked, but the deciding game helped tip the scales in their favor. He said the team focused on players handling multiple responsibilities from the start of the tournament.
“The runout was a good thing for us. We got closer there, closer than we would have liked, but luckily we pulled it off. I’m glad we were able to contribute with a few runs. Multi-role is something we’ve been talking about since the first game, and it looks like that’s going to continue. It’s great to contribute in 3 facets of the game.” Ferreira said.
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