Paarl’s spinners restrict DSG’s batters

Table-topping Paarl Royals, thanks largely to their spinners, restricted Durban’s Super Giants to a modest 142 for six in their Betway SA20 match at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.

Bjorn Fortuin (1-13), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-23) and Joe Root (1-18) conceded a miserly 54 runs in their combined 12 overs on a slow, sticky pitch that took some turn.

There has been plenty of rain in the city over the last few days and the spinners exploited the conditions with clinical expertise.

The DSG innings was built around an opening stand of 62 in 54 balls by Quinton de Kock and Matthew Breetzke and a fifth-wicket stand of 59 in 45 balls from Wiaan Mulder (24) and Jon-Jon Smuts (32 off 22 balls) at the back end of the innings.

Once again, Heinrich Klaasen was unable to get going, even surviving a dropped catch by David Miller before repairing that misfortune by catching a miscued pull to see the back of the usually destructive middle-order striker for five in nine balls.

Kane Williamson, batting at three, came and went, tamely holing out to Miller at long-off off the bowling of Root whose round-arm deliveries proved particularly effective.

The biggest disappointment was the dismissal of De Kock who batted superbly, striking three fours and three sixes in his 30-ball 43.

But when he seemed poised to take DSG well past the 150-mark, he miscued a drive off Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Rubin Hermann on the long-on boundary.

Paarl’s pace bowlers, expensive up front, came back reasonably well in the last five overs, not allowing Smuts and Mulder to punish them too severely.

The innings finished tamely for DSG with three wickets falling in the last over, including two run-outs off the final two balls.

DURBAN’S SUPER GIANTS: Matthew Breetzke, Quinton de Kock (wk), Kane Williamson, Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, Chris Woakes, Jon-Jon Smuts, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Junior Dala, Noor Ahmad, Naveen ul-Haq

PAARL ROYALS: Joe Root, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Rubin Hermann, Mitchell van Buuren, David Miller (capt), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Dayyaan Galiem, Keith Dudgeon, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb ur-Rahman, Eshan Malinga