Sunrisers Eastern Cape superstar Marco Jansen believes the secret behind his success at SA20 is his ability to adapt to the various conditions at the six venues.
South Africa is infamous for the contrasting surfaces all around the country. It is often the first thing many overseas players experience upon arriving in South Africa.
Jansen is the leading wicket-taker in the history of SA20 with 47 scalps, having topped the chart in Season 2 (20) and again now in Season 3 (19).
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The 24-year-old’s impressive allround abilities also earned him the prized Player of the Season award, despite Sunrisers falling short in their hat-trick championship title bid in the final at the Wanderers.
“I think here in South Africa, the lengths differ wherever you play,” he said. “Like on the coast, you try and bowl a bit shorter, whereas on the Highveld, you’ll probably err on the fuller side a bit more because there’s more bounce and pace.
“But yeah, I just think at the end of the day, just try to adapt as quickly as possible to whatever the conditions allow you to do. And then yeah, just try and execute your plans as well as possible.”
Jansen’s execution in the Poweplay was particularly accurate. He struck 10 times within the first six overs to regularly put the Sunrisers on the front foot with the ball.
“I’m really pleased with having struck a lot in the Powerplay, which is my goal or which is my job. I felt I bowled well this season,” he said.
“Obviously the new ball, that’s probably the best chance to get a wicket because the ball is swinging, the ball is nipping, the wicket is fresh. The batters, they’re just getting in, so they have to play, they have to look at the ball, they have to see, they have to react.
“I think mentality-wise, it’s just for me, I try and take a wicket every single ball. And then depending on whether the ball swings or not, I just try and adapt from that.
“If the ball nips, then I try to bowl a bit straighter. If the ball swings, I’ll try and bowl more full-stump lines, and then just take it from there.”
Furthermore, Jansen’s value is quadrupled by the fact that he contributes valuable runs lower down the order – often at a good rate too.
He struck 204 runs – more than top-order batters Tom Abell, Jordan Hermann and Zak Crawley – to illustrate his importance to the Sunrisers’ cause.
“For me, it’s not to change my game too much. Always try and go in with good intensity,” Jansen said.
“So looking to score, it doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says. That’s all I try to do.
“I remember in Pretoria, we were also in a sticky situation and I went out, I just tried to play my game and it came off. So, I just try and do that, and then I know I’ll play decently.”
Jansen is currently enjoying a well-earned rest before he heads off to Pakistan next week to join up with the Proteas ODI squad.
Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter will certainly be hoping Jansen can transfer his SA20 form to the international stage with the ICC Champions Trophy on the horizon.