The DP World Lions leg spinner Nqaba Peter has a chance of being the leading wickettaker in the CSA T20 Challenge. Nqaba is only 2 wickets shy from the leading wickettakers Beyers Swanepoel and Siya Simetu, who are both 21 wickets each.
Both Beyers and Siya have had a remarkable tournament with the ball. Interestingly enough, the top 3 wickettakers are hardly featured in the Betway SA20. Siya did not have a team in the SA20, and this time of the season in 2023, Siya was playing club cricket.
Nqaba’s ascendancy has been remarkable as well, along with Siya. They are no doubt the signinings of the season. Nqaba was not a mainstay in the Lions lineup when the CSA T20 Challenge started. Once he got his chance, he took it, and interestingly, the game that got him going was against Gbets Paarl Rocks at Boland Park. Boland Park is the homeground for his SA20 team, the Paarl Royals. So one could say, he knew that pitch, and that is where he got his first professional wicket when he took the wicket of the Proteas Test captain against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
While Nqaba’s average of 7.7 with the ball has been exceptional, his bowling economy of 5.19 has been great, and the strike rate is even better at 9. Nqaba has numbers that can not be ignored, and he can be great playing alongside Tabriaz Shamsi.
Against a strong Titans line-up, in a high-pressure semi-final match, Nqaba went for 18 runs in his 4 overs. He also took 4 wickets.
The Proteas will need to be unpredictable when it comes to their bowling line-up. Nqaba is high on confidence, and he can be the X-factor that will give the Proteas the edge. The fact that he is an unknown in world cricket would also assist Nqaba in his mystery, not to mention that he has a good googly.
Nqaba and Tabriaz could be the two players that would make South Africa drum out runs during the middle overs. South Africa already has the pace in Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, and Nandre Burger. Kagiso Rabada brings leadership and accuracy, while Lungi Ngidi has the best changeups in the South African bowling line-up.
The batting of the South African team is at its strongest if Rob Walter picks well, but the bowling will be great if South Africa can pick two good wrist spinners. As for finger spinners, South Africa will need to pick between Bjorn Fortuin and Keshav Maharaj. If South African needs a part-time offspinner, Proteas captain Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs are options.
If the Lions can win the CSA T20 Challenge against the Dolphins and Nqaba becomes the leading wickettaker. That should propel him to being in the discussions of the World Cup squad, at least.
Four6Out 