• All or nothing for JSK in Paarl

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    The Joburg Super Kings must beat the Paarl Royals at Boland Park on Monday to qualify for the SA20 playoffs at the expense of Durban’s Super Giants.

    Three teams – the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Pretoria Capitals and Royals – have already secured their places in the playoffs, but the race for the fourth and final spot remains wide open.

    For JSK, the equation is simple. Victory over the Royals will book their place in the playoffs and set up a repeat meeting with the Paarl side in Thursday’s eliminator playoff at Centurion.

    DSG, meanwhile, will be hoping the Royals can do them a favour.

    The Royals also have plenty at stake. A win would lift them to the top of the standings at the end of the league phase and secure a clash against the Sunrisers in the first qualifier playoff at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

    JSK, however, head into the must-win clash with fresh injury concerns. Stand-in captain Donovan Ferreira has been ruled out with a shoulder injury, adding to a growing casualty list that already includes regular skipper Faf du Plessis and senior batsman Rilee Rossouw.

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    Coach Stephen Fleming admitted the setbacks have been frustrating but believes opportunity still knocks for others in the squad.

    “It’s just bad luck – we’re not doing anything within the camp to create injuries,” Fleming said. “If anything, we’re really smart about how we train and manage risk. Injuries happen in games and sometimes the way players come into a tournament has an impact, but it’s the luck of the draw.

    “You’ve got to take the good with the bad. It also creates opportunities for other players. We’re working really hard with the guys who come in – they might not have been part of the original plan, but now they’re the most important. We’ve got one more game, we give it a good crack, and if we qualify, the story changes very quickly.”

    The Royals are also looking to regain momentum after suffering a heavy defeat to DSG at Kingsmead last weekend. Captain David Miller, however, remains confident his side can bounce back once again.

    “It’s a long competition – 10 games – and it’s a pretty brutal schedule,” Miller said. “We’re all human and these things happen, but the spirits are still high.

    “We were absolutely smoked in the first game of the season and bounced back really well. We’ve played great cricket over the last three or four weeks and we thrive on playing as a team, especially in the field.

    “There’s a lot to look forward to. If we win this game, we finish top of the table – that’s the objective.”

    Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics

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    Simon Borchardt