A remarkably mature run-chase from two of Pretoria Capitals; ‘young guns’ led them to a comfortable 7-wicket victory with nine balls to spare in their SA20 Qualifier match against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday evening.
Replying to Sunrisers’ 170-7 the Capitals finished on 172-3 after just 18.3 overs to advance to the final at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday.
Twenty-four-year-old Bryce Parsons compiled 60 from 44 balls (4x4, 2x6) and 22-year-old Dewald Brevis displayed the calm and patience lacking in the first half of the tournament before a rasping acceleration to finish with 75* from just 38 balls with four fours and seven emphatic sixes.
The Pretoria Capitals smashed it all over Kingsmead 🤩🔵
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 21, 2026
They are through to the second-ever #SA20 final ⏭️#SSCricket | #BetwaySA20 pic.twitter.com/gjXTRPmP69
Earlier Jonny Bairstow’s meticulous 50 from 36 balls helped lay a perfect platform for the Sunrisers but they were unable to capitalise as they stumbled to a par total of 170-7 after choosing to bat first.
Quinton de Kock’s lively 19 came from 15 balls before missing a slog-sweep against Roston Chase but when Jordan Hermann accumulated another stylish but slightly subdued 41 from 30 balls the Sunrisers were perfectly placed for close to 200 at 128-2 with five overs remaining.
But left-hander Hermann ‘yorked’ himself running at left-arm spinner Parsons (3-0-10-3) shortly after Bairstow (6x4, 1x6) missed a sweep against Keshav Maharaj (4-0-24-2) and was trapped lbw.
Marco Jansen (1) and Australian Chris Green (1) were both promoted up the order in the search for acceleration but the former hoiked Maharaj to deep midwicket and the latter was stumped by Shai Hope off Bryson.
The innings was completely transformed from modest to respectable in the final over by a remarkable cameo from 21-year-old Englishman James Coles who drove the first ball from Lizaad Williams (4-0-46-0) over extra cover for six, dabbed the second past short third man for four and smashed the third for another six over the bowler’s head.
He was run out for 17 from four balls attempting a second run. Twenty runs came from the final over.
But it was all rendered immaterial by Parsons and Brevis who added 91 in just 11 overs with subtle strike rotation and some brutal hitting at the right moments against the right deliveries at the right times.
Pretoria Capitals cruise into Sunday's final 🏆🔵#SSCricket | #BetwaySA20 pic.twitter.com/RAzqQSuHDq
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 21, 2026
The Capitals advance directly to the final to be played at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday starting at 3:30pm while the Sunrisers will have a second chance to reach the final when they face the winners of the first Eliminator match between the Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings to be played at Centurion on Thursday.
The second Eliminator match, to decide the second finalists, will be played at the Wanderers on Friday.
In the event of bad weather causing a match to be abandoned, the team placed higher on the log will advance.
SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE: Jonnny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Hermann, Tristan Stubbs (captain), Marco Jansen, James Coles, Lewis Gregory, Chris Green, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje.
PRETORIA CAPITALS: Connor Esterhuizen, Shai Hope (wkt), Jordan Cox, Bryce Parsons, Dewald Brevis, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Lizaad Williams, Lungi Ngidi, Gideon Peters.