Dirk Nannes would rather not be seen as a fatherly figure in the Highveld Lions camp. Dirk Nannes
Standing a comfortable 1.88 metres, with his fuzzy beard a new addition to his look, his appearance is that of a stately figure. At 35, with over 140 Twenty20 matches under his belt, 17 T20 internationals and two T20 World Cups, he is by far the most experienced member of the Lions’ attack.
“Experienced yes, but experienced and young,” he was at pains to emphasise.
Nannes was signed by the Lions ostensibly because of that experience which was to be used to attack up front with the new ball and to return at the latter stages of the innings to again pick up wickets and curtail the opposition’s run rate.
A return of nine wickets for the season doesn’t look overly impressive, but Nannes would argue that the wickets have been falling at the other end – mainly to Chris Morris – thanks to pressure he’s built.
Nannes made an immediate impression on debut for the Lions, picking up a wicket with his fifth ball, in the league match against the Titans at Centurion earlier this month.
He finished with 3/12, in an overwhelming victory, against the Lions’ opponents for tomorrow’s MiWayT20 Challenge final.
That win helped instil plenty of confidence for Nannes and his team-mates and is probably part of the reason that not many of them, especially the younger brigade like Morris and Quinton de Kock, have been pestering him for tips on how to play in finals.
The Lions’ attack has been among the most impressive in the competition. They’ve taken the full 10-wicket haul on two occasions, and on another two knocked over nine wickets, no mean feat in the 20-over format.
“We’ve assessed conditions quite well. In our first game against the Titans at their ground the wicket was fast and bouncy and not conducive to anyone spinning the ball – as soon as we took pace off the ball we got smashed. There it was best to go at them fast.
“In the game (at the Wanderers) we took pace off it, because it made it harder to score, the slower balls were effective.”
The pitch for tomorrow will be the same as the one used in last night’s T20 international with the Lions hoping for some pace and bounce – the usual traits for any surface at the Wanderers – and which suit the Lions attack.
The same could be said for the Titans attack especially if they include the young tearaway Marchant de Lange.
The Lions insist they won’t be overwhelmed by the presence of any national stars in the opposing line-up, preaching the mantra of “looking after their own processes”.
Nannes knows he’ll be a key performer in what is the biggest domestic match at the famed venue in four seasons.
As for the beard, the Australian, who played in the final of the T20 World Cup in 2010 and was a member of the Dutch squad the year before, insists it’s not to make him look more stately, but rather to keep his wife pleased.
“Before I go home to the wife it will be cleaned off, she’s pretty happy because she knows I’m not out on the town or anything like that, like some of the younger cricketers.” – Tomorrow’s match starts at 2.30pm