SA have high hopes

Subject: SA have high hopes Sat Jan 08, 2011 11:29 pm

South Australia captain
Michael Klinger believes the Redbacks can match it with the best in the
world after a comprehensive 55-run victory over Victoria at Adelaide
Oval on Saturday night.

Klinger was quick to recall SA's success in the Twenty20 Champions
League campaign in South Africa where the Redbacks mixed it up with some
of the powerhouses in the short format and Saturday night's victory
over the Bushrangers was another reminder said the SA skipper.

Klinger acknowledged last year's Big Bash winner has been the leading
Twenty20 team in the country and said the key to beating the world's
best was for the Redbacks to consistently play at their best.

"We expect ourselves to play well in all formats, but this format we know we can play well," he said.

"We took on the best in the world in the Champions League, beat two of
the IPL teams full or world class players and we know we can do it here.
Even the Victorians have some world class players in their team and we
were able to beat them tonight."

"It's always great beating Victoria but I think more importantly because
they're the leading Twenty20 team in this country over the last few
years."

"We showed tonight we can match them if we play at our best and it's a
matter of us playing out our best at a more consistent rate now."

Dan Christian took four wickets to help skittle Victoria for 116 after SA posted 6-171, spearheaded by Klinger's unbeaten 76.

But, the Redbacks captain highlighted the impressive performance of SA's
spinners with import Adil Rashid taking three wickets for the match and
a near hat-trick in his first over.

"The pitch suited the team we picked and it suited our spinners really well," Klinger said.

"I think the wicket was perfect for him (Rashid), it turned a lot
tonight. All our spinners bowled really well tonight and Adil was
fantastic. To get two wickets with his first two balls I think it really
put them on the back foot. Hopefully he keeps going from strength to
strength in the series."

On Thursday the Redbacks next face the winless Western Australia, who
play New South Wales on Sunday and Klinger said back-to-back wins for SA
would certainly start to shape the competition.

"Looking at all the results it's pretty even," he said.

"I don't think anyone has won two games yet. Obviously the next one or
two games are going to be crucial to try and get a jump on some of the
teams and that's going to be our plan."

Victoria captain Cameron White admitted he was disappointed with the result.

"It's disappointing in the end that we didn't lose a bit closer, if that makes any sense," he said.

"That sort of thing can happen in Twenty20 cricket, every time you go
for a big shot it doesn't happen and you get bowled out. No excuses,
it's disappointing and not good enough but that sort of thing can happen
in this game."

"There were obviously a few specific things that we could have done a
lot better, that stays in the dressing room, but it's clearly a
disappointing result."

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