Paarl Royals edge Pretoria Capitals in SA20 run fest

It was a tale of two partnerships as the Paarl Royals clinched a thrilling 10-run win over the Pretoria Capitals in their SA20 match at Supersport Park in Centurion on Sunday evening.

For the Royals captain David Miller crunched 75 off 42 balls, striking eight fours and three sixes, and Mitchell van Buuren hammered 72 off 40 balls, with seven fours and three sixes as they shared in a superb unbeaten 141-run fourth wicket partnership off just 72 balls to get their side to 210/3 batting first.

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In response Rilee Rossouw smashed 82 off 45, crashing 10 fours and four sixes, and Will Jacks struck 58 off 34 (6×4, 3×6) as they shared in a 149-run third wicket partnership off 76-balls, but their wickets sparked a collapse that saw the Capitals fall short on 200/7.

It completed an early season double for the Royals who triumphed by 27-runs over the Capitals in both teams’ first game of the competition in Paarl on Friday night.

Disastrous start

In the match the Capitals chase got off to a disastrous start as Phil Salt edged Lungi Ngidi to first slip Wihan Lubbe for a second ball duck and Theunis de Bruyn (4) chopped on at the end of the over leaving them in early trouble on 4/2.

However this brought Rossouw in to join Jacks and they set about their stand immediately as four boundaries off the bat of Jacks in the third over saw 16 off it while Rossouw cracked two fours and a six in the fourth with 14 scored, as they moved to 64/2 by the end of the powerplay.

The ninth and 10^th overs went for 14 and 16 respectively as they cruised to 104/2 at the halfway stage, while Rossouw and Jacks continued their onslaught with 30 runs coming off the next two overs as both reached their half centuries.

Rossouw cracked them over the 150 run mark with a six in the 14^th over, but was superbly caught by Jason Roy at deep midwicket off the bowling of Ngidi, while Jacks was bowled by Bjorn Fortuin at the start of the next over as they slipped to 153/4.

Colin Ingram (1) was caught by Fortuin off the bowling of Obed McCoy, while Jimmy Neesham smacked four boundaries in a nine ball cameo scoring 20 runs before he was caught by Fabian Allen off Andile Phehlukwayo leaving them on 175/6 in the 17^th over.

Brilliant last over

Corbin Bosch (10) and Hardus Viljoen (10no) tried to get their side over the line, but McCoy, who was struggling with cramp while defending 14 off the last over, was brilliant in conceding just three runs to seal the win.

Ngidi with 4/39 was the star of the Royals bowling attack, picking up crucial wickets, including the big one of Rossouw which started the Capitals collapse.

In the Royals innings they lost Roy (5) early, caught by Jacks off the bowling of Daryn Dupavillon, before Jos Buttler, 39 off 23 balls (5×4, 1×6) and Wihan Lubbe (12) shared in a 44-run stand to take them to 51/1 after five overs.

Lubbe and Buttler were both caught by Jacks, off the bowling of Neesham and Adil Rashid respectively at the start of the sixth and ninth overs as the Royals slipped to 69/3.

This brought Van Buuren in to join Miller and they first steadied the ship as they took their side to 86/3 at the halfway mark.

The two batsmen eventually started picking up the rate and then climbed into the bowling adding 124 runs over the final 10 overs.

The big overs in that period were 17 off the 12^th, 14 off the 14^th and 16^th, 12 off the 18^th and 15 off the 19^th, while the final over proved to be the biggest of the innings as three sixes from the bat of Miller helped 24 come off it as they flew over the 200 run mark.