MSL T20 2018, Match 1: Cape Town Blitz vs Tshwane Spartans – Dream11 Fantasy Tips

Mzansi Super League brings an end to South Africa’s longstanding wait for their own Twenty20 league which is set to begin on November 16th. Plans were made for their first ever T20 league in 2017 but the proposed tournament named T20 Global League was discontinued a month before the start of the tournament due to the financial crisis. The first game of MSL will be played between the hosts Cape Town Blitz and Tshwane Spartans.

Without a doubt, the star attraction of the tournament will be AB de Villiers who quit from International cricket in May this year and hasn’t featured in any game since then. Fans across the globe are eagerly waiting for the special player’s return to the field. De Villiers will be leading the Spartans who are filled up with the likes of Eoin Morgan, Rilee Rossouw and a couple of proven T20 all-rounders. He will be up against Dale Steyn-led Cape Town Blitz in the absence of Farhaan Behardien at the Newlands.

Match Details:

The first match of the Mzansi Super League will be played between Cape Town Blitz and Tshwane Spartans at the Newlands in Cape Town. The match starts at 7:00 PM local time (5:00 PM GMT) (10:30 PM IST).

Pitch Condition/Report:

On a given day, the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town produces a T20 game with scores around 160. The pitch here is dry due to the recent weather conditions. The chasing teams enjoy a great success at this venue as five of last Twenty20 games have been won by the team batting second. The last game at this venue was a T20I between South Africa and India in which the hosts lost by seven runs chasing 173.

Squads:

Cape Town Blitz:

Quinton de Kock, Dawid Malan, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dale Steyn, Hussain Talat, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, David Bedingham, Asif Ali, Farhaan Behardien (C), Anrich Nortje, Janneman Malan, Malusi Siboto, George Linde, Ferisco Adams, Jason Smith, Mohammad Nawaz, Sibonelo Makhanya, Kyle Verreynne, Dane Piedt.

Tshwane Spartans:

AB de Villiers (C), Eoin Morgan, Lungi Ngidi, Robbie Frylinck, Jeevan Mendis, Theunis de Bruyn, Rory Kleinveldt, Sean Williams, Gihahn Cloete, Lutho Sipamla, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Andrew Birch, Sikandar Raza, Shaun von Berg, Rilee Rossouw, Eldred Hawken.

Probable XI:

Cape Town Blitz:

Dawid Malan, Janneman Malan, Hussain Talat, Jason Smith, Mohammad Nawaz, Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham (wk), Anrich Nortje, Sibonelo Makhanya, Malusi Siboto, George Linde.

Tshwane Spartans:

AB de Villiers (C), Gihahn Cloete (WK), Dean Elgar, Tony de Zorzi, Rilee Rossouw, Theunis de Bruyn, Robbie Frylinck, Jeevan Mendis/Mohammad Nawaz, Rory Kleinveldt, Andrew Birch, Shaun von Berg.

Power Picks:

Rilee Rossouw has slowly developed into a T20 format star by improving his hitting ability. Since taking up Kolpak deal, Rossouw has become one of the crucial players in most of the T20 leagues. George Linde and Andrew Birch’s wicket-taking ability could be decisive for their respective teams.

Best Playing XI:

Gihahn Cloete, AB de Villiers, Rilee Rossouw, Dawid Malan, Jason Smith, George Linde, Robbie Frylinck, Rory Kleinveldt, Andrew Birch, Shaun von Berg, Anrich Nortje.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

AB de Villiers scored a brilliant 93 off 31 balls in the warm-up game a couple of days ago showing that he is still the same player even after staying away from the game for nearly four months. He could be a perfect option for a multiplier. Dawid Malan of Cape Town Blitz could be opening the innings. He was consistent for England in T20I cricket batting at No.3 and can be a good option as vice-captain. Robbie Frylinck is one of the most utility T20 all-rounders and can produce points with both ball and bat.

Expert Advice:

Theunis de Bruyn has the ability to score big but hasn’t been amongst runs in this format recently. In his last nine T20 innings, De Bruyn scored only 181 runs at an average of 22.62 with the best score of 40. Players from Zimbabwe might not feature in the opening game as the Test series in Bangladesh got finished less than 35 hours prior to the scheduled start of the tournament.

Probable Winners:

Tshwane Spartans could edge out the Cape Town Blitz due to depth in both batting and bowling line-ups.

(Probable XIs updated with latest team news)

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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