A second-wicket partnership of 91 in 76 balls by Rubin Hermann and Lhuan-dre Pretorius took table-toppers Paarl Royals to their fifth consecutive win at home – the first time this has been achieved by any team in the competition – against Durban’s Super Giants at a packed Boland Park in Paarl on Monday night.
The six-wicket victory, which came off the penultimate ball of the match when Dayyaan Galiem pulled Wiaan Mulder into the crowd, extended Paarl’s lead at the top of the table and ended DSG’s faint hopes of reaching the playoffs.
Paarl Royals complete a historic five-game 100% home record at Boland Park 💯
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With one match left to play, DSG are out of contention with only one victory and eight points at the bottom of the table.
Paarl’s main worry now is the fitness of their captain, David Miller, who hobbled off the field during DSG’s innings with what looked like a groin strain.
He didn’t bat in the Paarl run chase. Also, of course, Paarl will only have the services of Joe Root for one more match before he heads off on international duty.
Chasing 144 for victory, Paarl seemed in control of the match for most of their innings, although opener Root was dismissed off the first ball, leg before sweeping at offspinner Prenelan Subrayen.
Thereafter young sensation Pretorius and Hermann batted intelligently on the slow, low surface to add 91 off 76 balls for the second wicket.
For most of the partnership it was Hermann who took the bulk of the bowling and dominated the stand, striking 59 in 51 balls (4x4s, 2x6s) and at one stage it looked like Paarl would cruise to victory.
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But Hermann was caught at long-on mistiming a slow bouncer from Stoinis, and a hint of doubt entered the minds of the batters when Pretorius (43 off 29 balls) was bowled by Maharaj attempting a reverse sweep.
Still, Dinesh Karthik made it seem comfortable with a quick 21 but a tight 19th over from Jon-Jon Smuts meant that six were needed off the final over from Wiaan Mulder.
Three were still needed with two balls left when Galiem clobbered the fifth ball high into the midwicket crowd to release huge celebrations from the crowd.
STOINIS HALF CENTURY IN VAIN
Earlier, Stoinis struck his first half-century for DSG in this year’s competition to enable the Durban-based franchise to reach a useful 143 for seven after they won the toss and elected to bat first.
Stoinis added 53 in 38 balls with Kane Williamson for the fourth wicket and 28 in 14 with Mulder for the sixth wicket as DSG recovered from a poor start when they lost their first two wickets for four runs inside the first two overs.
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The teams played on the same pitch as the game at the weekend and it was always going to be difficult for the batters to score freely.
Royals had played five spinners in their last match, but this time they chose two pacemen, Kwena Maphaka and Galiem, in their attack.
After Quinton de Kock played on in the first over against Bjorn Fortuin, Maphaka immediately made his presence felt when Brandon King played all around a full straight delivery from the left-arm paceman.
Bryce Parsons played nicely for his 16 off 14 balls before he attempted to clear the boundary off Dunith Wellalage, holing out at long-on to a good catch from Hermann.
Williamson, batting beautifully, and Stoinis then collaborated in a half-century partnership with the Kiwi striking five fours and a superbly struck off-drive for six off Galiem before he fell victim to Fortuin’s quicker arm ball, bowled off-stump attempting to cut.
His 45 in 36 balls was valuable for DSG, but they would have loved to have had him at the wicket for a few more overs.
After an uncertain start, Stoinis began using his strength and bludgeoned five fours and two sixes in a belligerent unbeaten 55 in 40 balls for the visitors.
Once again, however, the Paarl attack was on song with both spin and seam with Maphaka claiming 2-22, including a brilliant return catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen, while Fortuin was once again difficult to hit, taking 2-20 in his four overs.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Wellalage both played their part with a wicket apiece.
PAARL ROYALS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Joe Root, Rubin Hermann, Mitchell van Buuren, Dunith Wellalage, David Miller (capt), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Dayyaan Galiem, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Kwena Maphaka
DURBAN'S SUPER GIANTS: Quinton de Kock (wk), Bryce Parsons, Brandon King, Kane Williamson, Marcus Stoinis, Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, JJ Smuts, Prenelan Subrayen, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Noor Ahmad