MSL 2018: Heat hoping for a polished home performance

The Durban Heat will have one final opportunity at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium to put in a complete T20 performance when they take on the Jozi Stars in the Mzansi Super League on Friday afternoon.

By the Heat’s squad standards it has been a disappointing tournament to date and with their clash with the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants rained out on Wednesday, they would like to give their home fans a strong performance in their last home match of the campaign.

With one more home game to go, Durban Heat batsman David Miller is confident that his side can put together a strong showing for the faithful supporters that have been with the team throughout the campaign.

“Look we have been a long way off the mark the whole competition,” the explosive left-hander said.

“We haven’t fired in a lot areas and we can’t really find an explanation for it.

“It is definitely not through a lack of effort or lack of preparation or not putting in the yards at practice. We have all been pulling our weight but it’s been hugely disappointing so far for us.

“We want to play with a lot of pride over the next three games and finish with four wins out of our ten matches in the competition.”

With an outside chance of getting into the play-off the Heat will have to win their next three games handsomely to keep their semi-final hopes alive and for Miller focusing on the job at hand is going to be the main objective.

“We just need to win our next three games,” he added.

“Whatever that does to the table isn’t anything that we are concerned about and we are just hoping for a full forty overs this Friday.”

The Stars beat the Heat in their first clash at the Wanderers with Reeza Hendricks scoring a hundred in that encounter. Coming to the coast could prove to be a different story for the Highveld side who boast stars like Chris Gayle and Kagiso Rabada.

“They seem to be a side that is starting to peak at the right time which is a good sign for them but we are going to regroup and focus hard on Friday’s match.

“All the teams are strong in this competition and we just want to try and play the best cricket we can on Friday and in our next two games,” Miller stressed.

The Heat will be encouraged by how spinner and international marquee player Rashid Khan performed in his first outing in Durban Heat colours. The Afghanistan sensation bowled three overs, taking one wicket for 19 runs.