Durban's Super Giants don't need Kane Williamson in the XI.
Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) will face Joburg Super Kings (JSK) in the 6th match of SA20 2026 in Durban. DSG’s previous game was washed out due to rain, while JSK won the contest by 22 runs.
Durban’s Super Giants: Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Evan Jones, David Wiese, Eathan Bosch, Simon Harmer, Kwena Maphaka, Noor Ahmad
Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis (c), Matthew de Villiers, Rilee Rossouw, Wiaan Mulder, Shubham Ranjane, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Dian Forrester, Akeal Hosein, Duan Jansen, Janco Smit, Richard Gleeson
ALSO READ:
The average first-innings score in Durban last season was 151. Spinners were more effective at this venue, taking 58.82% of wickets here. However, pacers were more dominant in the recently concluded CSA T20 Challenge 2025, averaging 22.96 compared to spinners’ 30.33.
With Durban having two quality spinners, expect another spin-friendly surface. However, the track should still be fine for batting. A big first-innings score can be expected.
Durban’s Super Giants opening pair – Devon Conway and Kane Williamson – have done a fine job in one and a half matches so far. However, Williamson’s intent might still be an issue for the Super Giants since he tends to start slowly and waste a lot of time in the powerplay. Even when in full flow, the Kiwi batter remains far behind the ideal scoring rate.
This year, Williamson has a strike rate of 100 and a balls-per-boundary rate of 6 in the powerplay. Additionally, he has played 50.79% of dot balls in this phase. That strike rate comes down to 97 against pacers during the field restrictions.
Joburg Super Kings are a pace-dominant side, with Akeal Hosein their only specialist spinner. As many as five powerplay overs were bowled by fast bowlers in JSK’s previous bowling innings, and with some early assistance for pacers expected again, the trend should continue. That would make Williamson’s job arduous, and he might again end up playing negative-impact knock.
Durban’s Super Giants have Jos Buttler, who bats at No.3, but he should be promoted to open with Conway. He has recently shown a shift in how he approaches the start of the innings, as Buttler doesn’t take as many balls as before and bats with a positive intent. In the powerplay, he has a strike rate of 162.83 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 3.83.
These numbers are too good, and using him at No.3 to accommodate Williamson doesn’t make sense. He is equally good against pace and spin and can maximise the field restrictions with Conway. Then, Buttler’s best also comes at the top, and he has done this job for a number of years now.
Ideally, Kane Williamson shouldn’t be in the XI, especially since DSG have Tony de Zorzi on the bench. Zorzi brings a higher attacking intent and is a fine player of spin, with different types of sweeps to work with. He can score quicker than Williamson when the field is spread and should take the No.3 or 4 slot based on who gets out between Conway and Buttler.
This will help DSG get a batter with a higher attacking value and also bring some variety to their batting unit. Currently, they only have Devon Conway as an LHB, with all other RHBs from top to bottom. If Tony de Zorzi plays, he makes the batting unit more attacking and dynamic, and Kane Williamson clearly doesn’t fit in DSG’s setup.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
