Port Elizabeth-born Dutch-South African batsman, Ryan ten Doeschate has been drafted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants as the replacement for Farhaan Behardien, for the rest of the 2019 Mzansi Super League (MSL) competition.
Behardien was ruled out of the tournament following an injury, after having played two games for the Giants.
Ten Doeschate has represented the Netherlands national team at both One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) level and was instrumental in helping his team qualify for the T20 World Cup this year.
The Giants are currently log leaders and are looking to retain their position with the addition of ten Doeschate.
The experienced batsman said Port Elizabeth was the one single place he fell in love with cricket.
“I spent so much time watching cricket in the 1980s in Port Elizabeth,” said Ten Doeschate.
“It’s now an utter privilege that I get to play with a team that is doing so well in this tournament.”
Ten Doeschate said, having played numerous T20 games around the world and having played against some of the key players in the MSL tournament means he brings much knowledge of the game that he would love to share with his teammates.
“I think it’s going to be absolutely fantastic and I am really looking forward to it.”
Coach Eric Simons said the team had a very specific structure going into the tournament with the aim of covering all bases in terms of ability and skill.
“When we lost Farhaan we obviously lost a specific talent and we thus needed to find someone who could bring that to the game.
“We needed someone who can access the boundaries and perform much like the way we’ve seen with Heino Kuhn.
“Ryan brings with him significant experience, calmness and he’s a leader,” Simons said.
The next Nelson Mandela Bay Giants game is at 17:30 on Wednesday 27 November against Paarl Rocks at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.
In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo
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