Bjorn Fortuin on the Royals' SA20 chances: Nobody backs us, but every year we make the playoffs

The Paarl Royals are relishing their underdog status heading into Betway SA20 Season 4, according to stalwart Bjorn Fortuin. 

The Royals begin their campaign at home against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Boland Park on Saturday, but not many are banking on the winelands franchise to build on their three consecutive playoff appearances this season. 

This is primarily due to a chaotic auction where the Royals seemed to miss out on a number of major players.

Fortuin, however, is confident that the Royals will find a way as they have done in the past. 

“I'll say this that we're probably sitting in the same boat now than we did in the first three editions where a lot of people are not really giving us a chance to even make the playoffs at this stage,” he said. 

“I've spoken to quite a few players on the domestic circuit and these teams have been set up quite a while ago, so everyone knows who's playing who. 

“The feeling that you get is that the Royals would be probably the bottom of the pack and it's been like that for the last three years and every year we've made the playoffs.”

The Royals’ strength has traditionally been to maximise their unique conditions at Boland Park, where they became the first side to win straight five matches at home last season. 

The low, slow turning conditions are tailormade for Fortuin, who knows the surface intimately having grown up just a stone throw away from Boland Park. The left-arm spinner will no doubt have to play a pivotal role for the Royals again this season, especially in the Powerplay where he routinely strikes with the new ball. 

Equally, he will be a major source of support for captain David Miller in terms of the tactics the Royals employ.

“I don't think anything will change this year compared to the last few years. Maybe a little bit more responsibility in terms of the experience that we have in our team,” he said. 

“I might have to take a bit more responsibility in terms of relaying information to certain bowlers and sort of helping Davey on the field with a couple of plans and how we go about things, but as far as my own personal game goes, nothing changes too much from what's been quite successful over the past two or three years.”

The Boland Park faithful will also welcome back their young batting star Lhuan-dre Pretorius. The teenager became an overnight sensation in his maiden season, topping the competition’s run-scorers chart in Season 3. 

It led to Proteas’ call-ups across all three formats and the blockbusting left-hander will no doubt be eager to kickstart the new season off with a bang against the Sunrisers, who he has traditionally done well against. 

SQUADS FOR BOLAND PARK

Paarl Royals: Bjorn Fortuin, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rubin Hermann, David Miller (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Gudakesh Motie, Delano Potgieter, Kyle Verreynne, Keagan Lion-Cachet, Asa Tribe, Hardus Viljoen, Okuhle Cele, Dan Lawrence, Thomas Rew, Eshan Malinga, Nqobani Mokoena, Vishen Halambage, Nqaba Peter

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: AM Ghazanfar, Tharindu Ratnayake, Marco Jansen, Adam Milne, Tristan Stubbs (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke, Anrich Nortje, Senuran Muthusamy, Patrick Kruger, Lutho Sipamla, Mitchell van Buuren, Jordan Hermann, Beyers Swanepoel, James Coles, Chris Wood, Lewis Gregory, CJ King, JP King. 

Start: 5:30pm TV: SS