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Knights’ KP works his way into the limelight

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Keegan Petersen of the Knights has become a handful for bowlers in domestic cricket Picture: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images
Keegan Petersen of the Knights has become a handful for bowlers in domestic cricket Picture: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images

If the bowlers on the domestic cricket scene are finding Keegan Petersen a bit of a handful at the moment, they may do well to approach a two-year-old named Cuelan for advice on how to transfer the pressure back on to the Knights’ top order batsman.

Young Cuelan is Petersen’s son, and judging by his old man’s utterings, he has given him more trouble than the country’s bowling attacks at franchise level.

“Cuelan is a bit like me at the same age, in that he is a bit of a handful. Sometimes it does feel like I struggle more with him than I do with the bowling attacks in the country,” Petersen quips.

Petersen has been on something of a purple patch in recent weeks in the four-day competition, scoring 484 runs (two big 100s and two 50s at an average of 121) in his past three matches, a feat that has shot him to the top of the run-scoring charts (923 runs) with one round remaining.

The big 100s (161 and 165 not out) were against the Cobras, the team the Boland native had to leave for Bloemfontein to be able to get game time two years ago.

It’s an achievement that was not lost on Petersen: “It was difficult for me to make the Cobras side because, at the time, they had world-class batsmen and I could only play when they couldn’t. It was always going to mean a lot to do that against old team-mates and friends.

“It was nice to score runs against a team I couldn’t make a couple of years ago and against a world-class bowling attack, including guys like Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt.”

Petersen attributes his current run mostly to his preparation: “I am just in a good space at the moment and I am trusting my preparation. We had a good preseason with the Knights and I am reaping the rewards of that hard work.”

Being top of the runs pile has come with its own level of pressure for the 25-year-old, who had a similar run in 2013 when he scored 846 runs – including his first-class best of 225 not out against North West, suggesting he has an appetite for big runs once he is in – in a season for Boland.

“I try to make it [heavy run-scoring] my thing. You can’t plan for it, but when it happens, it happens. You can’t say it’s lucky, though, because it’s when opportunity meets preparation.

“Being the top run-scorer is a bit overwhelming; you feel like you have to maintain a certain standard. It does bring some pressure with it because you are playing against the best players in the country.”

While nicknamed KP [after Kevin Pietersen] by his team-mates, and “the little master” [after Sachin Tendulkar] by his captain, Pite van Biljon, Petersen says he is not in possession of the dash those two batsmen had about their batting: “If I can live up to what KP did, I’d be happy! I am not an expansive or extravagant stroke-maker. My strength is batting time and batting long, and I’d like to think that playing spin is also a strength of mine.”

Petersen’s recent run of form may well be the realisation of a talent that has always been there but has not always been given a moment in the sun.

Having made the Boland first team as a 19-year-old, the former New Orleans Senior Secondary School pupil’s struggles to break into the Cobras side took over, after he had been in the training group for the 2012 SA Under-19 World Cup side and failed to make it.

According to him, the move to Bloemfontein has given him a home and a solid foundation from where he can display his wares.

So solid is the foundation that he now feels he can dream a little more during a period in which the national selectors have rewarded performance with a place in the Proteas team.

“It’s a cliché, but every player wants to play for his country. It is a good sign that guys such as Zubayr Hamza and Piet Malan are being recognised. Hopefully, I can keep scoring and even get a call-up.”

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