Hope unleashes a batting storm to power Capitals

Barbadian Shai Hope blazed an unbeaten 118 in 69 balls, including nine fours and nine sixes, to propel the Pretoria Capitals to a formidable 201-4 against Durban’s Super Giants in their SA20 clash at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.

It was Hope’s first SA20 ton and his fourth overall in the format. It was also the highest SA20 innings so far.

An indication of how he dominated the visitors’ innings was that he struck nine of 14 sixes hit in the innings, and nine of 14 fours.

Hope’s knock was full of beautifully timed drives, pulls, sweeps and cuts, as well as ones and twos to get off strike from time to time.

Too much heat from Shai Hope 😮‍💨🔥

He smashes it all over Kingsmead 🏏💥

📺 Stream #BetwaySA20 on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/E972gf0ygB — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 7, 2026

He and Connor Esterhuizen gave the Capitals the perfect start after Aiden Markram had won the toss and inserted his opponents at an overcast Kingsmead on a slowish pitch.

Although Esterhuizen played a supporting role, his 37 off 28 balls enabled the Pretoria franchise to race to 101 in 11 overs before he misjudged a slower, “knuckle” ball from David Wiese, resulting in a comfortable catch for Markram at midwicket.

Roston Chase helped Hope to add 85 in 44 balls for the second wicket, yet he was forced to retire in the 19th over with 34 off 15 balls, not sufficiently fast progress for Capitals.

Sherfane Rutherford was out second ball and although Dewald Brevis struck two sixes in his five-ball innings, DSG were able to restrict the Capitals to 18 runs off their last two overs and deny them the pulverising finale they were after.

The DSG bowlers were all punished by Hope but spinner Sunil Narine commanded respect, conceding just 22 off his four overs, while Noor Ahmed beat the bat frequently but still went for 39 in his spell.

DURBAN’S SUPER GIANTS: Kane Williamson, Marques Ackerman, Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram (capt), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Evan Jones, David Wiese, Gerald Coetzee, Sunil Narine, Kwena Maphaka, Noor Ahmad

PRETORIA CAPITALS: Connor Esterhuizen, Shai Hope (wk), Jordan Cox, Wihan Lubbe, Dewald Brevis, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Lizaad Williams, Lungi Ngidi, Gideon Peters