Cricket

Sunrisers edge Royals as SA20 league stage comes to a thrilling close

The title holders leapfrogged Durban’s Super Giants on the summit of the log.

Defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape completed high of the SA20 desk, taking some momentum into subsequent week’s playoffs by securing a slender five-wicket victory over the Paarl Royals of their lifeless rubber conflict in Gqeberha final evening.

With the hosts chasing 160 runs to win, each member of the Sunrisers high order made contributions, led by Temba Bavuma (33 runs off 30 balls) and captain Aiden Markram 63 (37 off 27) who shared 63 runs for the third wicket.

Andile Phehlukwayo was the most effective of the Royals bowlers, returning 3/33. But the guests had been unable to include the hosts who made 165/5 to attain their goal with only one ball to spare.

Earlier, in-form opener Jos Buttler performed an anchor function for the Royals after they received the toss and selected to bat.

Buttler was in a position to hold the run-rate up through the powerplay, however he was eliminated within the seventh over when he holed out to Patrick Kruger at long-off from a Liam Dawson supply after bashing 38 runs off 22 deliveries.

Dane Vilas and Wihan Lubbe then held up the center order with a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Lubbe made 27 off 20 earlier than Ottniel Baartman had him caught behind by Tristan Stubbs with lower than 4 overs left within the innings.

Vilas’ contribution (34 off 25) got here to an finish within the penultimate over when he was caught by Aiden Markram off a supply from Beyers Swanepoel.

Baartman spearheaded the Sunrisers arsenal with the ball, taking 2/33 from his 4 overs and taking part in a key function in proscribing the guests to 159/7.

Playoff rounds

While the Sunrisers leapfrogged Durban’s Super Giants into top spot in the standings, as the opening spherical got here to a close, the Royals remained in third place.

The Sunrisers will face the Super Giants in a qualifier match in Cape Town on Tuesday, whereas the Royals will play Joburg Super Kings in an eliminator on the Wanderers on Wednesday.

The winners of the qualifier will e-book their place within the remaining, whereas the shedding facet in that match and the successful workforce within the eliminator will compete in one other qualifier for a spot within the trophy contest.


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