Sunrisers Eastern Cape hammer Durban’s Super Giants to win second straight SA20 title

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the champions of the SA20 competition — for the second year in a row.

After topping the log after the league phase, the Sunrisers of Aiden Markram went on to win their qualifier earlier in the week in Cape Town (also against Durban’s Super Giants) and on Saturday, also at Newlands, they hammered DSG by 89 runs to capture a second title in as many years.

The Sunrisers won the toss and from the moment they decided to bat first they took charge of the match, and in the end coasted to victory.

Their win was built on an excellent batting performance with top order batters Jordan Hermann (42 off 26) and Tom Abell (55 off 34) laying the foundation before Markram (42 off 26) and Tristan Stubbs (56 off 30) got their team to a total of 204/3 in 20 overs.

Reece Topley (1/32 in three) and Keshav Maharaj (2/33 in four) were the only wicket-takers for the team from Durban.

Bowling

The Super Giants, who were so good in finishing second on the log and beating the Joburg Super Kings in the second qualifier on Thursday, were on the back foot from the off in their run chase, after losing three wickets for just seven runs.

Quinton de Kock, Jon-Jon Smuts and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were sent back to the changeroom after early bursts by Daniel Worrall and Marco Jansen, who grabbed one and two wickets respectively early on.

Wiaan Mulder (38 off 22) and opener Matthew Breetzke (18 off 27) tried to resurrect the innings but when they were dismissed by Simon Harmer and Ottniel Baartman to leave DSG on 63/5 it was left to Heinrich Klaasen to help get their team to their target.

But for once Klaasen failed, being trapped LBW by Baartman for a first-ball duck, and with that DSG’s chances of winning a first title were left hanging by a thread.

Dwaine Pretorius, with 28 off 17, hit a few big shots towards the end, as did Junior Dala, but DSG were all out for 115 and an easy win by Markram’s “Orange Army”.

Jansen finished with a brilliant 5/30 off his four overs, Worrall with 2/15 off four and Baartman 2/17 off three.