Super Kings into SA20 playoffs after last over thriller v Super Giants

The Joburg Super Kings secured their place in the SA20 semifinals after a thrilling penultimate ball seven wicket win over Durban’s Super Giants in their cracking clash at the Wanderers on Saturday night.

After the Pretoria Capitals beat Mumbai Indians Cape Town in the days earlier game, it left the Super Kings with the simple equation of just needing a win over the Super Giants to sneak into the playoffs.

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However the match against the in-form table toppers was anything but simple, after the Durban side powered their way to 203/6 batting first, with the Johannesburg side needing the highest successful run chase in SA20 history to win, which they pulled off in the end.

Star batting department

The Super Kings were grateful to their entire batting department who all played crucial roles in them chasing down the daunting target as captain Faf du Plessis, 57 off 29 balls (7×4, 3×6) and Leus du Plooy, 57 off 47 (5×4, 2×6) got them off to a flyer with 75 runs coming off the powerplay.

Having extended their stand to 102 in the ninth over, Du Plessis was trapped LBW by Noor Ahmad to be the first to fall.

Wayne Madsen, 44no off 29 (5×4, 1×6) then joined Du Plooy and they added 57 for the second wicket, before Ahmad returned to bowl a brilliant 17^th over that went for just one run and saw the back of Du Plooy, bowled, leaving them on 159/2.

The hosts thus needed 45 off the last three overs and Moeen Ali, 26 off 12 (2×4, 2×6) produced the impetus needed, as 17 came off Dwaine Pretorius 18^th over and 15 off Naveen-ul-Haq’s 19^th, leaving them with 13 needed off the final over.

Ali cracked Pretorius back over his head for four off the first ball, but sliced the ball in the air off the second to be caught.

Donovan Ferreira, 14no off three (2×6), however made sure there was no late innings stumble as he crashed his first ball over midwicket for six and his third over wide long on to smash his side over the line and into the knockouts.

Super Giants innings

In the Super Giants innings Jon Jon Smuts, 55 off 34 balls (4×4, 4×6) and Wiaan Mulder, 59 off 40 (5×4, 2×6) rescued them from a tricky position and set them on their way to their impressive score.

It was a rocky start with Matthew Breetzke (9) hitting Lizaad Williams down deep square leg’s throat, Dwaine Pretorius (7) popped a catch to Ali at mid-on off the bowling of Nandre Burger, and Tony de Zorzi (15) top edged Williams to Burger.

This left them in a spot of bother on 32/3 in the fifth over, however it brought in Mulder to join Smuts and they set about rebuilding the innings.

There was some good ball striking from both batters as they took their side past 50 in the seventh over and kept the run rate rising as they took them to 87/3 at the halfway mark.

A big six back over bowler Dayyaan Galiem’s head off the bat of Mulder in the 12^th over followed by a two brought up the Super Giants hundred, while Smuts crashed a six and four off Ali’s 14^th that saw 14 runs off it.

Stylish half centuries

Both batters reached their half centuries in style, Smuts scooping Burger over fine leg for six, and Mulder pumping Doug Bracewell over long-off for six in the 14^th and 15^th overs.

However both set batters fell in two balls as first Bracewell had Smuts in a tangle, playing onto his own stumps, and then Mulder chopped Williams on to leave them on 147/5 in the 16^th over.

But that just brought the wrecking ball Heinrich Klaasen, 40 off 16 (3×4, 3×6) and along with Keemo Paul (7no) they shared in a 56-run stand over the rest of the innings.

Klaasen was the chief destroyer with Burger’s 18^th disappearing for 23 runs and Williams 19^th for 22, but a tight last of from Bracewell of seven also saw Klaasen bowled off the last ball.

Williams, 3/47, and Bracewell, 2/40, were the key wicket takers, but both bowlers came in for some tap over the innings.