Ottneil Baartman delivered a career-best performance in the SA20 tournament, claiming five wickets for 16 runs, including a hat-trick, to help the Paarl Royals secure a playoff spot with a six-wicket victory over the Pretoria Capitals. Despite his strong form, the 32-year-old seamer was not selected for the Proteas' T20 World Cup squad. Baartman expressed little disappointment, noting he had low expectations due to limited communication from selectors.
On Thursday, Ottneil Baartman produced his best figures in the SA20, taking five wickets for just 16 runs against the Pretoria Capitals. This effort propelled the Paarl Royals to a six-wicket win, clinching their place as log leaders in the knockout phase. Baartman, who leads the all-time wicket-takers list with 57 scalps in 30 matches at an average of 14.11, has claimed 16 wickets in five games this season.
The highlight came in the final overs when the Capitals were at 126 for six with two overs remaining. Baartman then struck with a hat-trick on consecutive deliveries: first dismissing Andre Russell, caught by Sikandar Raza; then bowling Lizaad Williams; and finally catching and bowling Lungi Ngidi. This limited the Capitals to just one more run, marking the tournament's second hat-trick after Ngidi's earlier feat against Durban's Super Giants.
Earlier, Baartman removed Jordan Cox and trapped Connor Esterhuizen lbw in the fourth over. Opposing captain Keshav Maharaj, a former teammate at the Dolphins, praised his consistency: "People talk about X Factor and X Factor for me is being able to hold the length for a long period of time. That’s literally what Ottas does with his odd bumper and a little bit of a change up. He keeps it simple. He doesn’t leave the stumps."
Baartman, from Oudtshoorn, was not surprised by his T20 World Cup omission for the event in India and Sri Lanka next month. "I wasn’t too disappointed," he said post-match. "I didn’t think in the first place that I was going to be picked." He noted no contact from selector Patrick Moroney or coach Shukri Conrad since his 2025 tours to India and Pakistan, despite occasional Proteas appearances.
Maharaj added: "If you look at the best bowlers in the world, they don’t leave the stumps. Kudos to him... He’s probably one of the best death bowlers we have." Baartman's skiddy pace and stump-targeting accuracy underscore his value in T20 cricket, even without international selection.
