Tag: SA20 Final

JOHANNESBURG: Roelof van der Merwe’s magnificent spell powered Sunrisers Eastern Cape to bundle out Pretoria Capitals for 135 before Adam Rossington’s half-century led the side to lift the inaugural SA20 title.

Put into bat first, the Capitals’ batting lineup faltered in the biggest stage of the league as they could only pile 135 before being bundled out in the final over.

Experienced all-rounder van der Merwe led the bowling carnage on the Capitals as he returned with astounding figures of 4/31 in his quota of four overs.

Besides him, Ottniel Baartman and Sisanda Magala added to the misery of the Capitals by picking two wickets each, while Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen struck out a batter apiece.

Opening batter Kusal Mendis remained the top scorer for the Capitals in their dismal batting display in the final against the Sunrisers.

Set to chase a meagre 136, the Sunrisers soared through in the 17th over for the loss of six wickets at the back of a magnificent half-century from their opening batter Rossington.

The right-handed top-scored for the Sunrisers in the final as he scored a quickfire 57 off just 30 deliveries with the help of four boundaries and five sixes.

Skipper Markram (26) and Jordan Hermann (22) made vital contributions with the bat before Jansen (11) steered his side over the line.

For the Capitals, Anrich Nortje bagged two wickets while James Neesham, Colin Ingram, Adil Rashid and Eathan Bosch picked up a wicket each.

READ: Bismah’s fifty, Ayesha’s blitz power Pakistan to raise 149/4 against India 

JOHANNESBURG: Rilee Rossouw fired in with a 41-ball 56 before bowlers took the charge and steered Pretoria Capitals to the SA20 final after they edged Paarl Royals by 29 runs in the first semifinal on Wednesday. 

Rossouw’s valiant fifty helped Pretoria Capitals reach a respectable total of 153/8 in the 20 overs after they were put into bat.

Paarl Royals, in reply, were bundled out for a mere 124 runs thanks to a brilliant combined effort by Capitals’ bowlers.

Eathan Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Adil Rashid and James Neesham took two wickets each as Capitals kept Paarl Royals’ batting line unsettled throughout the chase.

Capitals proved to be a much better side on the second consecutive day after they crushed the Royals by 59 runs in Centurion on Wednesday.

However, a different surface in Johannesburg, which offered something to both the fast bowlers as well as the spinners, made the win a bit more laborious for the Capitals. They were reduced to 51/3 in the ninth over with Phil Salt, Kusal Mendis and stand-in captain Theunis de Bruyn back in the camp.

Rossouw then held on the fort but received little support from the other end as Colin Ingram and James Neesham fell in quick succession. The left-hander, however, continued his tempo and showed some fireworks in the late overs, hitting Lungi Ngidi for four boundaries in the 18th over.

Eathan Bosch smashed three fours and a maximum in his 10-ball 22 while Rashid was able to hit two fours in the final over to take Pretoria past the 150 mark.

Royals, on the other hand, went through a dismal start as opener Jason Roy was cut short on a duck by Bosch on the second ball of the innings. Bosch then handed a fateful jolt on the first ball of his second over, cleaning up the in-form Jos Buttler.

Paul Stirling tried to salvage the Royals by clubbing three fours and a six but was trapped LBW right after the powerplay off Adil Rashid, who then went on to hunt Dane Vilas with a googly to leave Paarl 72/4 after 10 overs.

Albeit brief contributions from Eoin Morgan (17 from 13) and David Miller (31 from 27) from there onwards, the Royals never looked in control of the game and threw away the chase in the 19th over.

READ: Karachi Kings’ squad begins to gather in Karachi ahead of PSL 8