Super Giants confident of hitting back against Sunrisers in SA20 final

Overall consistency will again be key for both sides, according to all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, as Durban’s Super Giants look to pick themselves up for one last SA20 encounter of the season in Saturday’s final against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Newlands.

After performing well throughout the league stage, the Super Giants were given a knock earlier this week when they were thumped in a 51-run defeat to the Sunrisers in a qualifier playoff.

But they hit back at the Wanderers on Thursday night, racing to a 69-run win over the Joburg Super Kings in the second qualifier and booking their place in the trophy contest.

‘An off day’

“If you look at the loss against the Sunrisers, that was an off day for us, and to be able to bounce back again shows what we have in the camp and what the culture and environment are like,” Mulder said.

The Sunrisers, however, displayed impressive consistency in recent weeks. After getting off to a wobbly start in the league stage, the defending champions were set to enter the final off the back of a five-match winning streak, and Mulder admitted they would be difficult to beat.

He nonetheless felt the Super Giants had enough match-winning players in their squad to put up another fight with the trophy on the line.

‘Not a one-man show’

“We’ve had pretty much the same team in every game. We’ve had one or two international players come in who had a massive impact straight away and were match winners, but different guys have been putting up their hands,” said Mulder, who scored an unbeaten half-century against the Super Kings.

“Everyone wants to contribute at the moment and it’s not a one-man show. And that’s very similar to the Sunrisers. They have so many players who have consistently put in performances.

“I think that’s what wins you these comps, consistently having different people putting up their hands, because that’s how you win games out of funny positions.”

While the Sunrisers last played on Tuesday, the Super Giants were facing a quick turnaround in preparation for the final. Mulder nonetheless felt they would be ready to go.

“There’s nothing we can do. We fly tomorrow and play the next day, so it’s not like we have any practice,” Mulder said after their match on Thursday.

“We’ll have a meeting to see exactly how we’re going to go about things, but in terms of skill and mindset, that’s up to the individual now to try and get up for it.

“But we will be up for it. We will fight as hard as we can and scrap where we can to win the game.”

The SA20 trophy battle between Durban’s Super Giants and Sunrisers Eastern Cape starts at 5.30pm on Saturday in Cape Town.