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Sunrisers secure top spot after five-wicket win over Royals

04 February 2024 18:33| ยฉ MWP
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Three sixes in the final two overs by Patrick Kruger helped the Sunrisers Eastern Cape rocket to the top of the standings when they beat the Paarl Royals by five wickets in their Betway SA20 clash in Gqeberha on Sunday. 

Kruger finished unbeaten on 25 from seven deliveries, including one boundary and three sixes alongside 37 and 33 respectively by Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma to send the men in Orange to the top of the table. 

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Earlier, 49 runs between Dane Vilas and Wihan Lubbe helped the Paarl Royals to 159/7 in their 20 overs.

The Sunrisers now shift their focus to Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, where they face Durbanโ€™s Super Giants at Newlands in Cape Town. 

Chasing 160 runs for victory, the home side lost Jordan Hermann for 21 to the bowling of Cody Yusuf, before Dawid Malan and Temba Bavuma steadied things in the middle.

Malan would fall in the eighth over off Andile Phehlukwayo, before Bavuma and skipper Aiden Markram rebuilt the innings with a solid 63-run stand for the third wicket. 

Markram tried to accelerate, however he was out caught on the boundary for 37 from 27 balls including a boundary and two sixes, as the match was briefly interrupted by a short burst of rain over St Georgeโ€™s Park. 

Returning after the rain delay, Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs took on the mantle of chasing down the remaining 41 runs with 25 balls left in the innings.  

Stubbs fell for 19, before Patrick Kruger struck two sixes in the same Phehlukwayo over to leave the hosts needing eight runs to win from the final over. 

Bavuma perished for 33 to Nqaba Peter to start of the over before Kruger (25 not out) closed the game out with a six off the second-last ball of the match. 

Phehlukwayo recorded figures of 3-33 from four overs, while Peter and Yusuf finished with 1-27 and 1-29 respectively. 

DISCIPLINED SUNRISERS RESTRICT ROYALS

Earlier, the Royals won the toss and elected to bat first. The Sunrisers bowled tight lines and were energetic in the field as the visiting Royals side found boundary-hitting tough, with a total of 15 boundaries and five sixes in 20 overs. 

Jos Buttler and Mitch van Buuren got the Royals going after the early loss of Jason Roy, who was removed by Ottniel Baartman for eight runs.  

Buttler and Mitchell van Buuren saw the visitors record 53 runs at the end of the powerplay before the second-wicket partnership was finally broken as Liam Dawson removed his compatriot Buttler for a well-played 38 from 22 balls including four boundaries and two sixes. 

The Royals lost Mitchell van Buuren (14) when he was run out at the non-strikerโ€™s end after the ball ricocheted off Beyers Swanepoelโ€™s hand and back onto the stumps. 

Skipper David Miller (11), trying to clear the boundary off Simon Harmer succeeded only in finding Dawson on the fence as they reached the halfway mark on 76/4. 

Dane Vilas (34) and Wihan Lubbe (27) faced 38 balls for the 49 runs, however, both perished in consecutive overs as Baartman claimed his second wicket while Worrall dismissed Vilas to move back to the top of the wicket-takers list with 15 for the tournament.

Swanepoel removed Bjorn Fortuin for a brace as the Royals reached 150 runs in the penultimate over as Baartman, who bowled a waist-high no ball but conceded no runs off the free hit from the first ball, conceded just nine runs in the final over.

The right-hander claimed 2-33 from four overs, while Dawson, Harmer, Swanepoel, and Worrall claimed one wicket apiece. 

SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE: Dawid Malan, Jordan Hermann, Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Liam Dawson, Patrick Kruger, Beyers Swanepoel, Simon Harmer, Ottneil Baartman, Dan Worrall

PAARL ROYALS: Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, David Miller, Mitchell van Buuren, Dane Vilas, Wihan Lubbe, Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, Nqaba Peter, John Turner.

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