• All to play for on double-header Saturday

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    Durban’s Super Giants host the Paarl Royals at Kingsmead on Saturday, before the Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals meet in a decisive Jukskei derby at the Wanderers.

    For DSG, only a win will keep their playoff hopes alive, while defeat will see them eliminated from the competition.

    “I think we could have been better with the bat,” admitted DSG coach Lance Klusener. “It’s just small mistakes here and there that kind of plagued us a little bit this season.

    “We need to build those partnerships as batters and maybe get the hundreds that win you the game. Those small things, that attention to detail, are probably where we let ourselves down.”

    The Paarl Royals, meanwhile, have already secured their place in the playoffs but will be pushing hard for a top-two finish to ensure a return to Kingsmead for the first playoff qualifier.

    “Obviously it’s getting to ‘Fergie Time’ now in the tournament,” said Royals batsman Rubin Hermann. “We want to end top two because that gives us two bites of the cherry in the latter half.

    “It’s within our grasp. We know we’ve got the characters and the team, so let’s see how far we can take it and hopefully we can end top two.”

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    The Jukskei derby in Joburg carries its own set of permutations.

    The Pretoria Capitals have already qualified for the playoffs and are also chasing a top-two finish, while a win for JSK would secure Stephen Fleming’s side a place in the knockout stage.

    A JSK victory would also spell bad news for defending champions MI Cape Town, who will be hoping the Capitals get the job done. A defeat for JSK would keep MI Cape Town alive heading into their final league-stage clash against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at St George’s Park on Sunday.

    “In terms of home-ground advantage, we’ve got to make the most of,” Fleming said. “But it’s against a side that’s in form in Pretoria. This is a very close competition. We started off well but dipped a bit.

    “So, we’ve got to find something from within to get back in the contest. It’s not just about scraping into the semi-finals, it’s about creating some rhythm and getting confidence back.”

    Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj is also keen to build momentum heading into the playoffs and hinted that changes to the playing XI could be on the cards.

    “Hopefully we can finish as high as we can in this competition,” said Maharaj. “With a few results, we can still look at top two.

    “We just want to make sure that we’re winning the game. That’s the main thing.

    “I think we might have to look at a bit of a change in personnel, with a reshuffle of the batting order. It’s gone on for nine games and similar scenarios are playing out.

    “It’s something we really have to look at. Even on the bowling front, there are areas where we can improve as a unit.”

    Photo: Ron Gaunt/Sportzpics

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    Simon Borchardt