SACricketMag.com pick the Team of the Tournament after the 2019 edition of the Mzansi Super League.
1. Ben Dunk (Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, wicketkeeper)
Matches: 11; runs: 415; average: 51.87, catches: 5; stumpings: 1
- Dunk was the standout overseas star ahead of Liam Livingstone, Wahab and others – and scored the most runs in the 2019 tournament.
2. Janneman Malan (Cape Town Blitz)
Matches: 9; runs: 358; average: 44.75
- Malan was second only to Dunk in terms of most runs scored – and struck the most sixes of the tournament. He effectively kept Paarl Rocks big-hitter Cameron Delport out of this hypothetical XI.
3. Jon-Jon Smuts (Nelson Mandela Bay Giants)
Matches: 11; runs: 238; batting average: 26.44; wickets: 6; bowling average: 36.00
- Smuts captained the Giants to second on the log – and fared well enough with the bat throughout. His left-arm spin, too, proved handy.
Also see: Rocks crowned 2019 MSL champions
4. AB de Villiers (Tshwane Spartans)
Matches: 9; runs: 325; average: 46.62
- De Villiers has obvisouly still got it – and hopefully Mark Boucher does coax him out of international retirement.
5. Faf du Plessis (Paarl Rocks, captain)
Matches: 10; runs: 219; average: 27.37
- Du Plessis wasn’t at his best with the bat, but captained the Rocks to the title during a tumultuous time for anyone privy to the Cricket South Africa mess.
6. David Miller (Durban Heat)
Matches: 6; runs: 184; average: 61.33
- The Heat have one representative in this XI – and the hard-hitting left-hander is it. That break away did him the world of good.
7. Chris Morris (Nelson Mandela Bay Giants)
Matches: 11; runs: 122; batting average: 30.50; wickets: 10; bowling average: 33.50
- Morris effectively warmed up for his stint with the Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League with a decent showing for the Giants.
8. Sisanda Magala (Cape Town Blitz)
Matches: 9; wickets: 11; average: 24.18
- Magala was athletic in the field despite his hefty frame and bowled really well to justify his big price at the pre-tournament auction.
9. Dale Steyn (Cape Town Blitz)
Matches: 8; wickets: 15; average: 15.13
- Steyn is done with Test cricket, but still wants a crack at ODI and T20I selection, so it’s important that he continues to put in performances like these.
10. Tabraiz Shamsi (Paarl Rocks)
Matches: 10; wickets: 16; average: 16.87
- Self-indulgent ‘wand’ and ‘telephone’ celebrations aside, the left-arm wrist spinner had a good tournament as the second highest-wicket taker.
11. Imran Tahir (Nelson Mandela Bay Giants)
Matches: 11; wickets: 17; average: 14.23
- Tahir was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, having taken at least one but not more than two in his last nine matches. Consistency, indeed.
Photo: BackPagePix
