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Root and Miller lead Paarl Royals to record win against Pretoria Capitals

olympics18 January 2025 15:27| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Joe Root and David Miller showed the value of their vast experience as they guided the Paarl Royals to a brilliant eight-wicket victory chasing a record target 213 in their SA20 match against the Pretoria Capitals in Centurion on Saturday afternoon.

The Royals needed eight runs from the final over bowled by New Zealander Jimmy Neesham and Miller pulled the first ball through square leg to all-but end the contest before Miller actually did so with a lofted drive to long off to clinch victory with two balls to spare.

Former England captain Root finished with an imperious 92 not out from only 60 balls with 11 fours and two hooked sixes with captain Miller on a blazing, unbeaten 48 from just 24 balls including four fours and two sixes, one of which was gloriously slapped over cover point.

It was the highest run-chase in the tournament’s three seasons.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius’s dream start to the tournament stuttered when he miscued the first ball of the innings straight back to offspinner Will Jacks (1-33) but Rubin Hermann and Root added 125 for the second wicket in just under 12 overs to put the run-chase right back on course.

The free-flowing Hermann’s excellent 56 from 33 balls (5x4, 3x6) played a crucial part in the victory but when he was well caught in the deep by Marques Ackerman off Neesham it only heralded the arrival of the imperious Miller and the start of a veterans, run-chase masterclass.

Earlier a half century from Englishman Will Smeed and a late blitz from Neesham earned the home side a daunting total of 212-5 after choosing to bat first but their bowlers were never able to exert control on a near perfect batting pitch and super-fast outfield.

Twenty-three-year-old T20 specialist Smeed compiled 54 from 34 balls was just the sort of innings he revels in with an array of different attacking shots earning him five fours and three sixes.

Neesham clubbed a pair of fours and sixes as he took 20 runs from the final over bowled by Sri Lankan speedster Eshan Malinga (1-47) to give the total a significant boost.

Smeed’s countryman Will Jacks (9) was an early casualty, miscuing a drive against Sri Lanka paceman Eshan Malinga but Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz added 76 for the second wicket with Smeed to lay a solid platform for the second half of the innings at 96-2 after 10 overs.

Gurbaz was bowled for 42 from 29 balls (3x4, 2x6) by countryman Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (4-0-28-2) but two magnificent catches were responsible for the next two wickets.

Mitchell van Buuren produced a brilliant ‘step-over’ effort on the long-on boundary to end Smeed’s innings off the bowling of Dayyaan Galiem and Lungi Ngidi’s dive at short third man to grab a top edge off Rilee Rossouw (14) was especially athletic to give Mujeeb a second wicket.

Kyle Verreynne accelerated well in the closing overs smashing 45 from just 23 balls employing the slog-sweep effectively for four sixes and two fours on a perfect batting pitch before Galiem (2-41) trapped him lbw in the 18th over before Neesham lashed the score past 200.

The home side now move down to third place on the log with nine points from five games while the Royals move to the top with 12 points from their three victories in four games.

PRETORIA CAPITALS: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Will Jacks, Will Smeed, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Rilee Rossouw (captain), Marques Ackerman, James Neesham, Senuran Muthusamy, Migael Pretorius, Eathan Bosch, Tiaan van Vuuren

PAARL ROYALS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Joe Root, Rubin Hermann, Mitchell Van Buuren, David Miller (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Dayyaan Galiem, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Eshan Malinga, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi

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