Kuhn, Smuts help Giants grab bonus point against Paarl
Paarl Rocks did well to pull back with the ball but their chase never got going
Paarl Rocks did well to pull back with the ball but their chase never got going
Commentator: @varunshetty
5:22pm And that is all from our coverage of the first game. Stick around for Jozi Stars v Durbah Heats. See you!
Faf: I did think it was chaseable. We thought the wicket was decent. But once you lose wickets early, you're always playing catch up and they have good spinners in their side. We tried to make sure we didn't give them a bonus point, the communication to the guys was to get to 135. But they squeezed us. Back to Paarl now, a pitch where we've trained. But it's a quick turnover. Time to learn the lessons quickly.
Smuts: I think the game was a little closer than what the result indicates. In this ground the more dot balls you can build, the better you'll do. The competition has been a very high standard, the most important thing is the home games.
Kuhn: Was eager to get out in the ground and express myself after sitting out. I tried to get singles initially and let the others bat around me. It's how I play, I'm not as strong as some of the other guys you'll talk to soon. Getting a little harder as I grow older, but that's how I score my runs. There's a great vibe in the team and hopefully we can keep going like that.
Heino Kuhn is the Man of the Match.
5:06pm That is the bonus point sealed for the Giants. A massive win this, by 48 runs. They started well, and had the pitch read perfectly when they picked the extra spinner in Phangiso. The batting fell away a bit in the middle of their innings, then it picked up with Kuhn's hurricane. But the Rocks did superbly to restrict them to 168. However, it was a rather simple defence for the Giants in the end, with Jon-Jon Smuts leading the way with the ball. Magala and Morris did some work too with crucial wickets - five between them. The Giants now have 19 points from six games, only a point behind toppers Cape Down Blitz.
TL Moreki b Magala 2 (7m 7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 28.57
Paarl Rocks did well to pull back with the ball but their chase never got going