If ever there was a cricketer who was living the dream it has to be Eddie Leie. Plucked from Potchefstroom University a couple of years ago, the charismatic leg-spinner’s cup is certainly overflowing at the moment.
Since picking up the Domestic T20 Player of the Year award recently, the 28-year-old’s star continues to rise. Frolicking with international superstars like Kevin Pietersen, Darren Sammy and Kiwi Ross Taylor recently on yachts in the Caribbean while playing for the St Lucia Zouks suggested the Highveld Lions man had arrived on the big stage.
It was rubber-stamped yesterday in Dhaka when Leie achieved the best figures by a South African on debut in T20 cricket. The impressive performance had further gravitas as Leie’s concoction of googlies, top-spinners and leg-breaks ensured South Africa sealed the series to complete the first leg of their Bangladesh tour without too many hassles.
Proteas T20 captain Faf du Plessis certainly appreciated the debutant’s efforts. “He bowled really well. It was great to bring in a new guy, obviously these conditions are suited for spin and it was nice for him to come in and the ball was turning. He bowled fantastically well. Great debut for him, there is a bright future for him,” Du Plessis said.
Du Plessis called on Leie to have his first bowl in international cricket after the hosts had made a promising start to their chase. Fifty-two runs had come in the PowerPlay overs for the loss of only Tamim Iqbal and the skipper required his new man to put a halt on the proceedings. He went one better by removing the rampaging Soumya Sarkar (37 off 24 balls; 6x4; 1x6) with a beautifully flighted delivery that had the left-hander searching outside the off-stump after he had advanced down the pitch. The ball whizzed past the outside edge and Quinton de Kock coolly whipped off the bails to complete the stumping.
“It is always exciting to make a debut for your country. During the middle period I tried to keep it simple because if they were hitting ones I was doing my job. That was my focus, not wickets,” Leie said.
He was the cause for further excitement when the opportunity for a hat-trick on debut arose after a double strike that included Tigers skipper Mushfiqur Rahim virtually ended the match as a contest. Leie was gracious in accepting the plaudits, while heaping praise on his spin bowling partner Aaron Phangiso, who also collected three wickets yesterday.
“We have good spinners in South Africa like Phangi and Imran Tahir and just coming into the team I am trying to learn from these guys. There is no competition. Immy is a great bowler. He has done consistently well. We are the Proteas as a collective. When someone gets rested, it is up to someone else to fulfil that role,” Leie explained.
The victory though was not all about South Africa’s new hot-shot leg-spinner. There were plenty of positives for Du Plessis to take forward en route to the World T20 next year. AB de Villiers’ blitz at the top of the order with De Kock – 95 runs in just 9.2 overs – was a major step in unlocking the potential of South Africa’s ODI captain in the shortest format.
Likewise the way Kyle Abbott closed the innings with his yorkers showed that new bowling coach Charl Langeveldt’s influence is already starting to reap dividends.
“I am proud of the boys, it was tough conditions and to beat Bangladesh 2-0 like that, it’s a great job. Everyone put their hand up. A good way to start,” Du Plessis concluded. - The Star