Cape Town - Rilee Rossouw is in red-hot form ahead of his return to the Proteas’ T20 team at the end of the month.
Rossouw, 32, has struck 600 runs at an average of 50 for English county team Somerset in the on-going Vitality Blast. However, that only tells half the story with Rossouw’s runs coming off just 194 balls at a strike-rate of 197.
The dashing left-hander’s latest demolition job came against Derbyshire in the quarter-finals where he smashed 93 off just 36 balls. It included a 36-run over (6, 6, 4, (2nb), 6, 6, 6) off leg-spinner Mattie McKiernan.
36 off the over 😱![CDATA[]]>😱![CDATA[]]>😱![CDATA[]]>😱#WeAreSomerset #SOMvDER pic.twitter.com/vH9Jc7FaFF
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) July 9, 2022
Rossouw’s pyrotechnics set up Somerset for a record 265/5 - the highest T20 total in English domestic men’s cricket - and a place in the semi-finals against Hampshire.
The Proteas begin their three-match T20I series against England in Bristol on July 27. Rossouw is expected to replace injured Proteas captain Temba Bavuma in the starting line-up at the top of the order.
Rossouw last played international cricket for the Proteas back in 2016 after which he signed a Kolpak deal with Hampshire.
He returned to South African domestic cricket after the Kolpak ruling ceased after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union in 2020 and has since made his intentions clear that he is looking forward to a positive return with the Proteas.
IOL Sport