Paarl let Pretoria back in the game before Miller finishes brilliantly

The Paarl Royals let the Pretoria Capitals back in the game by losing two wickets in three balls in the 16^th over, but still managed to sneak home by six wickets with two balls to spare, thanks to the brilliance of captain David Miller, in their SA20 match at Boland Park on Sunday.

Part-time off-spinner Will Jacks was the bowler who struck the vital blows, breaking a partnership of 65 off 48 balls between Jos Buttler and Dane Vilas, which had put the home side well on course for their target of 159.

Jacks’ first ball was short and Vilas (24 off 26) tried to hit it to the cover boundary, but was cramped by a bit of turn and hit it straight to the sweeper. Jacks, considered one of England’s brightest prospects, then produced a classic big-turning off-break two balls later to bowl Buttler through the gate. The England captain had shown great craftsmanship in scoring 37 off 28 balls.

That left Miller and Mitchell van Buuren with 39 runs to get off the last 27 balls, and Miller produced a great display of composed finishing, scoring 28 not out off 14 balls. Paarl needed 10 runs off the last over bowled by Anrich Nortje, and Miller collected a boundary first ball with an imperious drive over extra cover, and then all but sealed victory when he inside-edged the next delivery the fine leg for another four.

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Van Buuren finished with a run-a-ball 12 not out, hitting the winning runs and providing a confidence boost to his young, promising career.

Earlier, Jason Roy (21 off 16) and Wihan Lubbe (29 off 22) had given Paarl a fine start by putting on 48 for the first wicket in 5.5 overs.

Adil Rashid was the best of the Pretoria bowlers, the leg-spinner taking 1/26 in his four overs, but the much-vaunted pacemen were just a little off the mark in the unique Boland Park conditions.

Mendis joins

Pretoria Capitals had won the toss and elected to bat first. Having been struck by a stomach virus, the visitors were delighted to have Sri Lankan star Kusal Mendis joining the squad after his ODI series against India, because he slotted in perfectly for ill opener Phil Salt.

Mendis nullified dangerman Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner having trapped Jacks lbw for 4 in the first over, and went on to score 37 off 26 deliveries.

He and Theunis de Bruyn added 52 off 38 balls for the second wicket, and De Bruyn went on to anchor the innings with a highly-composed 53 off 47 balls, playing the situation and the tricky, low and slow pitch, very well.

Rilee Rossouw (19 off 13) and Jimmy Neesham (21* off 17) made lesser contributions as Pretoria posted 158/6, a good score on the testing Paarl pitch.

Lungi Ngidi (4-0-19-1) bowled superbly up front and at the death for Paarl, while wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (4-0-29-1) also bowled well.

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