Super Giants beat Super Kings to qualify for SA20 final

Durban’s Super Giants were superb on Thursday night, flaunting the form they have displayed throughout the campaign as they booked their place in this weekend’s SA20 final with a 69-run victory over the Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers.

Chasing 212 to win the qualifier clash, the Super Kings were bowled out for 142 in the 18th over of their innings.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, the Super Giants had a solid start, reaching 95/4 in the 13th over.

It was a fifth-wicket partnership between middle-order batters Heinrich Klaasen and Wiaan Mulder, however, which really gave them a boost, with the duo sharing 101 runs off just 38 balls.

Klaasen was eventually removed by Nandre Burger in the penultimate over of the innings when he holed out to Doug Bracewell at long-off after smashing 74 off just 30 deliveries in an innings which featured seven sixes.

Mulder went unbeaten, contributing 50 off 23 to close out a spectacular effort from the visiting team’s batting line-up as they racked up 211/6.

Seamers Burger (2/27) and Bracewell (2/33) were the best of the Super Kings bowlers, but their attack struggled to contain the Super Giants, particularly in the second half of the innings.

Super Kings innings

In response, the Super Kings were left flailing at 32/3 in the sixth over, but Reeza Hendricks and Moeen Ali combined in a 54-run stand for the fourth wicket to keep the home team in contention.

The partnership was broken by Dwaine Pretorius in the 12th over, however, when he dismissed Moeen (30 off 26), and the rest of the Super Kings line-up struggled to put up a fight.

Pretorius removed Hendricks (27 off 24) in his next over, and the hosts lost their last five wickets for just 34 runs.

Junior Dala was clinical with the ball at the death, ripping through the tail to take 4/38, while Pretorius took 2/17 and Naveen-ul-Haq returned 2/27.

While the Super Kings were eliminated from the competition, the Super Giants progressed to the final against defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Cape Town on Saturday.