Root and spinners lead Paarl Royals to 11-run win

Joe Root was at his imperious best in fiercely difficult conditions scoring an unbeaten 78 to lead the Paarl Royals to a competitive total of 140-4 and victory by 11-runs in their SA20 match against the Pretoria Capitals at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday afternoon.

The Capitals quickly stumbled to 23-3 against their hosts all-spin attack with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6) stumped, Marques Ackerman (2) top edging a reverse sweep and Rilee Rossouw (4) caught at deep mid-wicket.

Opener Will Jacks glued the innings together with 56 from 53 balls (2x4, 2x6) and added 77 with Kyle Verreynne (30 from 33 balls) but with the asking rate above 10 per over the necessary acceleration resulted in another stumping for Dinesh Karthik and clatter of wickets as the Capitals finished on 129-7.

Bjorn Fortuin (2-20), Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (2-17) and Root (2-32) claimed a brace each while Sri Lankan left armer (1-16) was the most parsimonious and Nqaba Peter (0-33) the only bowler not to take a wicket.

It was only the second time a team has bowled all 20 overs of spin in a top level T20 match following Malaysia’s all-spin effort against Bangladesh in the Asian Games in 2023.

In ferocious heat and on a slow, awkward pitch former England captain Root adapted his game brilliantly playing orthodox drives and variety of sweeps including an outrageous reverse sweep for six against fellow Englishman, offspinner Jacks.

Root faced 56 balls collecting eight boundaries and a second six hooking a slower ball bouncer from Australian seamer Jason Behrendorff while David Miller slog-swept two huge sixes in his unbeaten 29 from 18 balls.

Root enjoyed an extraordinary moment of good fortune on 13 when he hooked Behrendorff to Jimmy Neesham at deep square leg where the New Zealand allrounder held an excellent catch on the run but somehow dropped the ball after three steps. The laws of cricket state that the fielder should be “…in control of the further disposal of the ball…” after completing a catch.

Tournament top scorer Lhuan-dre Pretorius (0) edged the third ball of the innings Jacks into the gloves of ‘keeper Verreynne and Rubin Hermann (9) pulled a short ball from Eathan Bosch to square leg where Neesham made no mistake.

When Mitchell van Buuren (5) was bowled by a beauty from left arm spinner Kyle Simmonds which pitched on middle stump and hit the top of off stump the Royals were 41-3 and surprised most observers by sending in Wellalage as a pinch-hitter.

The gamble was less than successful as the diminutive left-hander struggled to a boundaryless 15 from 20 balls before slog-sweeping Senuran Muthusamy to deep midwicket.

The victory was the Royals’ sixth in seven matches and gives them 24 points extending their lead at the top of the log to five points ahead of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

PAARL ROYALS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Joe Root, Rubin Hermann, Mitchell Van Buuren, David Miller (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Dayyaan Galiem, Dunith Wellalage, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Nqabayomzi Peter

PRETORIA CAPITALS: Will Jacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Rilee Rossouw (captain), Marques Ackerman, Keagan Lion Cachet, James Neesham, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Simmonds, Eathan Bosch, Jason Behrendorff