Could Proteas spinner Harmer be the key for DSG as he joins as a temporary replacement for Narine?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Durban, Dec 24 (NationPress) The Durban Super Giants (DSG) have officially recruited South African off-spinner Simon Harmer as a temporary substitute for West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine ahead of the start of Season Four, as announced by the tournament on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the tournament, Narine will join the team at Kingsmead for his first SA20 season after fulfilling his prior commitments.
Harmer returns to Kingsmead after playing for the last two seasons with Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC), where he contributed to their championship victory in season two by taking eight wickets in 11 games.
The 36-year-old spinner is joining DSG in remarkable form, following a stellar performance with the Proteas Test team that saw him dismantle the batting orders of both Pakistan and India. He recorded figures of 6-50 during the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, leading South Africa to their first Test win there in 18 years, while also reaching the milestone of 1,000 first-class wickets.
Harmer's exceptional spin bowling continued against India, where he captured 17 wickets at an impressive average of 8.94, helping South Africa, the current World Test Championship holders, secure a 2-0 Test series victory. His remarkable performance began with figures of 4-30 and 4-21 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, marking South Africa's first Test win on Indian soil since 2010.
His performances of 3-64 and 6-37 in the second Test at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati confirmed a resounding 408-run victory, and marked South Africa's first Test series win in India in 25 years. Previously, Harmer played four matches for DSG in the inaugural SA20 season before moving to SEC, where he made three appearances in Season Three.
Durban's Super Giants, owned by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group—which also owns the Indian Premier League team Lucknow Super Giants—was established in 2022 and plays its home games at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground. The team is coached by Lance Klusener.