David Miller ‘proud’ of Paarl Royals despite his team losing their way

Despite losing their last four matches of the campaign, Paarl Royals captain David Miller felt his team could hold their heads high after they crashed out of the SA20 tournament on Thursday night.

Having won seven of their first eight matches in the league stage, the Royals lost their last two games to finish second on the log.

And after losing momentum, they fell to MI Cape Town in a qualifier playoff earlier this week, before falling again in an eight-wicket defeat to title holders Sunrisers Eastern Cape in another qualifier in Centurion on Thursday.

‘We didn’t have that punch’

It was the third year in a row that the Paarl outfit reached the playoffs but missed out on a spot in the final.

“Unfortunately when it really counted at the back end of the competition, we didn’t really have that punch,” Miller admitted.

“I don’t feel that we gave ourselves the best chance to compete. Throughout the competition we played really well, competing the whole way through, but unfortunately when it really did matter at the back end we didn’t stand up, so that’s just the reality of it.

“But I’m really proud of the squad, the way the guys went about it. We’ve got a lot of young guys in the squad – bowlers and batters – and the way they embraced the season all the way through, I’m really proud of them.”

Sunrisers ‘never give up’

Miller credited the Sunrisers for a fine performance, as the Eastern Cape side booked their spot in the final to be played against MI Cape Town at the Wanderers on Saturday.

While the Royals slipped in the closing stages of the tournament, the Sunrisers looked to have timed their peak perfectly, hitting their straps at the back end of the campaign as they set their sights on lifting the trophy for the third season in succession.

“They’re a team that never gives up. They’re a competitive team and they’re always at you, so you’ve got to be on your game in all three departments,” Miller said.

“They played some really good cricket today… and that’s the way cricket goes, and we just lacked it at the back end of the competition.”