Former South African batsman Ashwell Prince has effectively likened Montrose Cricket Club opener Matthew Kleinveldt to a string of current and former Australian cricketers.
Much like the hard-hitting David Warner, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, fellow left-hander Kleinveldt is a particularly strong striker through the on-side and very impressive on the drive.
“He is almost an Australian-type of opener. He pulls and hooks well off the back foot and hits beautifully straight. He might not have the range of attacking shots of Cobras team-mate Jason Smith, but that is also good, because as an opener you don’t necessarily want to play too many strokes,” said Cape Cobras assistant coach Prince.
The 27-year-old Kleinveldt scored a fine 47 in the first innings and a superb 54 in the second, as the Cobras fell to a disappointing 175-run defeat at the hands of the Knights, whose bowling attack featured Proteas fast bowler Marchant de Lange and spinner Robin Peterson, in the Sunfoil Series last week.
“My gameplan was to play very straight and to attack down the ground if they planted it full. If they bowled short, I did use the cut shot, which is one of my best strokes,” said Kleinveldt.
Kleinveldt’s appearances for Montrose Cricket Club, who narrowly missed promotion to the Western Province Cricket Association premier league earlier this year and remain in the first division A this season, will be very limited to due to his provincial and franchise pursuits.
“If I want to cement my place in the Cape Cobras’ team, I will have to go big when I’m off to a flyer,” he concluded.