In-form Ferreira relieved to deliver for Super Kings in SA20 victory

Having been bought by the Joburg Super Kings for a whopping R5.5 million in the SA20 auction, all-rounder Donovan Ferreira admitted he was relieved to deliver for his team in their opening match of the new T20 league.

Ferreira bashed an unbeaten 82 runs off 40 balls with the bat and went on to return 1/28 from his four overs with the ball, playing a key role as the Super Kings defeated Durban’s Super Giants by 16 runs at Kingsmead on Wednesday night.

“I think this is pretty much the ideal start for us as a team and for me as a batter,” Ferreira said after the match.

“There was a lot of hype with everything going on, so I just wanted to stay in the moment and do my best for the team, and luckily tonight it came off.”

Ferreira, who hasn’t yet made his debut for the Proteas, said it was a unique experience for him to play in front of a vibrant crowd in a series which has already attracted significant interest from local fans.

“Any cricketer enjoys playing in front of such a crowd,” said the 24-year-old player.

“We haven’t had crowds like this in South Africa for a long time, so for us it was very exciting and a great start to the tournament.”

Recovery effort

When he stepped to the crease, the Joburg side were struggling after losing four early wickets against the hosts, but Ferreira said it had helped having veteran batter Faf du Plessis at the other end.

The duo shared 72 runs for the fifth wicket, leading a recovery for their side which eventually laid the foundation for victory in their first match of the competition.

“He (Du Plessis) just keeps you calm,” Ferreira said.

“When you’ve got an amazing batter on the other side… just learning by standing on the other side and seeing what he’s doing and what options he’s taking… it gave me, as a young player, a lot of confidence.”

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