Jayawardene’s brilliance takes Southern Brave to Hundred title

Southern Brave’s men stuck to the Mahela Jayawardene template. His tried-and-tested formula at Mumbai Indians has been to lose the first game of the IPL season and then storm to the title and he joked with his squad after their defeat to Trent Rockets that they had kept up his streak. Defeat against Welsh Fire in Cardiff left them no room for error but they responded by winning seven games out of seven.

Brave were the bookies’ favourites ever since the initial draft in October 2019 and their success has been underpinned by performances from their big names: Quinton de Kock, a late replacement for David Warner, struck at 172.64; James Vince led from the front and grew into his role as captain; and Tymal Mills, challenged by Eoin Morgan to pitch his case for T20 World Cup selection ahead of the season, was nerveless at the death.

But their win in Saturday night’s final was not about their superstars: Vince and de Kock made 11 between them and for all Mills’ skill at closing, the game was sewn up before he came back. Instead, it was proof of the depth of white-ball talent that county loyalists have known about for years but the wider public has seen only in glimpses. Brave’s two heroes with the bat have been dominating the T20 Blast for the best part of a decade but their talents have been hidden behind a paywall, with the vast majority of games seen only by those in the crowd rather than casual fans at home.

(cricinfo)