David Miller performed heroics, capitalising on a platform set by Jos Buttler, as he led Paarl Royals to a remarkable five-wicket win, with seven balls to spare, over Sunrisers Eastern Cape in their Betway SA20 match at St George's Park on Tuesday afternoon.
The Royals cantered to 131 for five in 18.5 overs after the hosts, who had won the toss and elected to bat first, had hobbled their way to 130 for seven in 20 overs.
Miller, who was named Player of the Match, defied the odds by smashing four sixes on a day when the conditions conspired to make clearing the boundary difficult as he raced to an unbeaten 37 from 23 balls.
Jos Buttler (51) scored the second most sixes in the match. The Englishman cleared the ropes twice in his innings.
A comfortable win for Paarl Royals ??#Betway #SA20 pic.twitter.com/NX9LcMmyu2
— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) January 24, 2023
During the PowerPlay, Buttler ran amok, scoring 31 runs from 18 balls, while Jason Roy (8) tried to grind his way to a meaningful score.
But just when he thought he had gotten the measure of the pitch, Roy danced down the pitch and attempted to send the ball back over the bowler's head.
He only managed to sky it to mid-off. The Royals appeared to be wasting a good start when Roelof van der Merwe dismissed Wihan Lubbe (2) five balls later.
The Sunrisers had reason to have a little belief that they could pull off a sensational comeback when Sisanda Magala and Van der Merwe strung together a couple of quiet overs and combined to dismiss the two set batters, Buttler and Mitchell van Buuren (14) in a space of nine deliveries.
The Royals, for their part, had reason to worry when they found themselves five down in the 15th over and an injured Dane Vilas (12) had to come out to bat, after Andile Phehlukwayo’s (4) dismissal early into the 15th over.
"Oh yeah, South Africa is a great place to be."@darensammy88 and @ashyp_5 are enjoying the vibes out in Gqeberha ????#Betway #SA20 pic.twitter.com/KAcjXfArYt
— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) January 24, 2023
But David Miller was not to be denied. And as he did in the previous match against the Pretoria Capitals, Miller grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to lead his team home.
The Royals' captain struck three sixes and a single four as he harvested 25 runs from the 18th over.
Roelof van der Merwe was the pick of the Sunrisers' bowlers with two wickets from four overs at an economy of 2.75 runs an over.
Sisanda Magala, who has been reliable for the Sunrisers, conceded the most runs, 43, at an economy of 14.33 runs an over.
SMUTS'S EFFORT NOT ENOUGH
Earlier in the day, Jon-Jon Smuts' half-century was not enough to catapult the Sunrisers to a match-winning total.
The 34-year-old Smuts carved nine boundaries on his way to a wonderful 65 from 45 deliveries.
In addition to Smuts' knock, the Sunrisers needed to string together a couple of good partnerships. However, they were unable to do so.
The only substantial partnership they managed was the 44-run third-wicket partnership between Smuts and his captain Aiden Markram (15). The Proteas star was undone by a lack of bounce, the ball kept low and cannoned onto the stumps.
Tristan Stubbs (18) and Marco Jansen (13) tried to inject impetus into the Sunrisers' innings, but a strong swirling wind countered their efforts. They both fell while trying to clear the boundary.
Andile Phehlukwayo had a wonderful debut with the ball. The pacer starred on a bowler-friendly wicket, taking two wickets for 26 runs in four overs.
Evan Jones also snared a couple of wickets but had a marginally higher economy rate of 6.75 runs an over.
SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE: Adam Rossington, Jordan Hermann, Sarel Erwee, JJ Smuts, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, James Fuller, Roelof van der Merwe, Mason Crane, Sisanda Magala.
PAARL ROYALS: Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Roy, Wihan Lubbe, David Miller (capt), Eoin Morgan, Evan Jones, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi.