Sunrisers win third straight game and are now properly back in SA20 contention

A brilliant all-round contribution by Marco Jansen and a classy batting knock by captain Aiden Markram lead the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a third straight win in the SA20 league, which has put them right back in the mix for the playoffs.

This, after the two-time defending champions lost their first three games to find themselves among the bottom feeders.

But, on Wednesday night in Gqeberha, the Sunrisers were back to their brilliant best in front of their big and vocal home crowd as they beat the Pretoria Capitals by 52 runs – for their third straight bonus point win.

Markram heroics

After being in early trouble batting first, Markram scored an unbeaten 68, with good support from Jansen and Liam Dawson to get their team to a decent 149/7 in their 20 overs.

Jansen then lead the bowling attack with a brilliant 4/13 in four overs to help bowl out the visitors for 97. Dawson got 3/17 in his four overs.

The best Capitals batters were Marques Ackerman (25) and rookie Keagan Lion-Cachet (28).

Earlier, the Sunrisers got to 149/7 after Markram’s excellent 68 not out off 55 balls. He was well supported by Jansen (24 off 20) and Dawson (25 off 11) at the back end of the innings after the top order had collapsed in dramatic fashion.

No other batter got to double figures, after the Sunrisers had been reduced to 0/1, 9/2, 14/3, 49/4 and 53/5.

Markram though was excellent in holding the innings together, hitting five fours and two sixes in his 70-minute unbeaten innings. The Sunrisers scored 95 runs in their final 10 overs.

The Capitals’ Eathan Bosch (3/33 in four) and Will Jacks of England (2/18 in three) did the bulk of the damage, while Australia’s Jason Behrendorff and New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham took one wicket each.

The win has consolidated the Sunrisers’ position in third place on the points table, while the Capitals remain in fifth place.