Markram on SA20 opener against MI Cape Town: ‘DSG want to make early statement’

Durban’s Super Giants captain Aiden Markram wants his team to make a statement from the off when they take on the SA20 defending champions, MI Cape Town, in the opening match of season four, at Newlands on Friday. The game starts at 5.30pm.

The Super Giants have not had the best three years in the tournament, but have a new-look team this season, with Markram in charge, having moved up the east coast from Gqeberha where he had played for the last three seasons, guiding the team to three finals, and winning the first two.

Interestingly, the Durban-based side’s first two games of the new season are against the star-packed MI Cape Town team – at Newlands on Friday and at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday.

“Playing against MI Cape Town is always an exciting game,” said Markram in the build-up.

“They’re the defending champions and will also want to start well first-up, but if we can get two good results against them in back-to-back games it will send out a bit of a statement.”

Markram though added all the teams in the competition would prove tough competitors over the coming month.

“Every team has match winners and world-class players. This tournament has high standards … but if we can play good cricket and get close to our abilities we’ll be sitting pretty towards the end of it.”

MI Cape Town ‘quietly confident’

DSG batter and team-mate of Markram’s, David Bedingham, added he, too, felt his team could go deep in the tournament.

“It’s a brand-new team this season and we’ve gelled nicely so far,” he said.

“Personally, I’ve very excited about it, and playing at Newlands first-up, the best ground in the world, and if we trust each other out in the middle, I think we can go a long way in the competition.”

Experienced opening batter Reeza Hendricks, of defending champions MI Cape Town, said there was a “quiet confidence” in the camp.

“I’m definitely excited about the new season. It’s something new to look forward to again and the pitches are generally good in the competition so we’ll see how it goes.

“We were successful last year and because of that the guys are quietly confident. We have a similar group together so hopefully we’ll produce more of the same. But, it’s a new tournament and we’ll have to start well.”