Captain Jon-Jon Smuts wants an improved performance from the batsmen in the opening six overs, come Tuesday’s Mzansi Super League fixture against the Tshwane Spartans in Port Elizabeth.

The Giants currently occupy second position in the 2019 tournament’s six-team standings, but might have been first had inadequate contributions from the top order not limited progress.

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‘The place where we have been struggling a little bit maybe has been in the top order, in the powerplay,’ said Smuts.

‘I think we’re getting close to what we want to do in terms of getting the batting powerplay sorted. We did much better in the last game, our bowling needs to be up like how it was earlier in the competition, so that’s what our focus remains on being.’

While the Jozi Stars have been ruled out of contention for this year’s MSL title in the wake of seven successive defeats, the Giants are still vying for the trophy alongside the Spartans, Durban Heat, Cape Town Blitz and Paarl Rocks.

‘I’ve said it before the last five games that every game is a big game in this competition and the one against Tshwane will be no different. I think there are five teams still in the running and that all five can still come first, so that shows how close the competition is this year,’ added Smuts.

‘We treat every game as a must-win game. Just to keep trying and playing our best cricket and trying to get into that top three.

‘You never can’t be worried when you don’t win. You always wonder what you could have done better. I still don’t think we played our best cricket in those wins that we had.’

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