Batting with Markram and Williamson has been quite special, says in-form Marques Ackerman

Marques Ackerman has opened the batting in two matches for Durban’s Super Giants this season, and on both occasions, he’s walked out with cricketing royalty. 

In the first instance, Ackerman was partnered with New Zealand legend Kane Williamson, and the opening pair got the Super Giants off to a flyer with 39 runs being struck within the first four overs. The left-hander was the aggressor in the partnership with 27 runs off just 17 balls. 

“Yeah, very special walking out with him. I had a few dot balls and I mean, just his calmness and stuff in reiterating what good options are was really helpful,” Ackerman said of Williamson.

At St George’s Park on Sunday, he had a new partner in Proteas T20I and Super Giants captain Aiden Markram. But on this occasion, the 29-year-old had to take a back seat and admire Markram’s ball striking ability with the partnership yielding 49 runs in just 4.2 overs. 

“He's a world-class player and I think he took a lot of pressure off me in the start of the Powerplay, especially those first two overs. He was flying and the cricket shots he was playing were out of the best seats in the house,” Ackerman said.

“So, yeah, it just gave me nice confidence and good clarity when we were speaking. But he's a great leader and heck of a player.”

Although Markram’s cameo was cut short due to a brilliant one-handed catch by Marco Jansen on the boundary, Ackerman went on top score with 45 off 26 balls in DSG’s successful run-chase at St George’s Park.

He believes batting with these two legends has undoubtedly aided his development. 

“I mean, that's what this tournament's about,” Ackerman said. “For us as domestic cricketers, being able to play with these types of guys, that's quite special.”

Ackerman’s run of form has come at a critical stage for DSG as the race for the playoff positions heats up. The Super Giants are on 12 points with only two games remaining and need to win both matches if they are to qualify for the playoffs only for the second time in four seasons. 

“It's been a bit of a stop-start campaign for us with a lot of rain interruptions. So, yeah, hopefully this is the bit of momentum we need,” he said. 

“We just needed a bit of momentum. We've got a heck of a team. We've got loads of experience in the T20 format. I mean, you look at some of the guys, they're the best in the world.

So, it's just a matter of time. And a lot of teams know that once we catch a bit of momentum, we’ll be a tough team to beat.”

DSG travelled to Cape Town where they will face Paarl Royals in a crucial encounter on Tuesday.