A brilliant hundred from Aiden Markram and some potent spin bowling saw Durban’s Super Giants to their first home victory in their final pool fixture over Paarl Royals in the Betway SA20 at a sunny Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
Although DSG’s 58-run victory – with a bonus point – sent the home side’s fans home happy, Joburg Super Kings can beat them to the last vital playoff place if they win one of their final two matches.
And if they cannot, MI Cape Town can still steal into the playoffs if they win their last match with a bonus point.
Markram struck 108 in 58 balls, including 12 fours and five sixes, his first ton in this season’s competition and his second overall.
💯 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐑𝐀𝐌 💥💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/WGyIaHk8PL
— Durban's Super Giants (@DurbansSG) January 17, 2026
His knock enabled DSG to total 189-7 after Paarl had won the toss and put them in to bat.
Paarl’s reply was effectively stymied by some superb spin bowling from Simon Harmer (1-13 in four), Sunil Narine (2-18 in four) and Markram (1-9 in two).
Liam Livingstone also contributed the vital wicket of Rubin Hermann.
Harmer bowled a maiden and nine dot balls in a row, achieving a total of 15.
⚠️ No escape for the batters 🕸️😉 pic.twitter.com/rUKOXVu8Ki
— Durban's Super Giants (@DurbansSG) January 17, 2026
Pacemen Gerald Coetzee and Kwena Maphaka chipped in with three scalps between them in the dying overs with Bjorn Fortuin slogging his way merrily to an unbeaten 35 in 24 balls when the game was effectively over.
Paarl lost five of their first six wickets to spin with Narine starting all the damage when he bowled Kyle Verreynne through the gate.
Markram then had a frustrated Lhuan-dre Pretorius brilliantly caught in the covers by a diving Kane Williamson for seven in 14 balls before Rubin Hermann holed out to long-on.
Nothing can go wrong for our SKIPPER today 😍 pic.twitter.com/W4w0oEMQoJ
— Durban's Super Giants (@DurbansSG) January 17, 2026
The key wicket of David Miller went to the deserving Harmer with the left-hander well caught by Evan Jones at long-off.
The potentially dangerous Delano Potgieter was caught off his glove attempting a reverse-sweep off Narine while Dan Lawrence was neatly run out by Klaasen.
Altogether, Paarl lost five wickets for 28 runs, a fatal collapse that handed victory to DSG.
MARKRAM MAGIC
Earlier, a healthy total looked a distant prospect after DSG lost two early wickets. Pinch-hitter Narine struck a four off Fortuin’s first ball then thick-edged a drive to Ottneil Baartman at short third man.
Jos Buttler, usually a key player, was bowled playing a loose drive off his second ball delivered by Hardus Viljoen.
Those two help-yourself dismissals did not encourage the home fans, but a careful third-wicket partnership of 44 in 37 balls between Markram and Williamson repaired some of the damage before Williamson became the third batter to suffer a soft dismissal when he got a leading edge to Potgieter, popping an easy return catch to the bowler.
This signalled the moment when the tenor of the innings changed with Markram and Heinrich Klaasen dominating the Paarl bowling to the tune of 81 in 49 balls for the fourth wicket.
Klaasen played a secondary role to his skipper who played a succession of handsome strokes, particularly through the covers, and looked entirely at his ease. Klaasen eventually perished on the midwicket boundary off Viljoen for 29.
Markram and Liam Livingstone continued to increase the pressure on the Paarl bowlers although Markram was reprieved on 79 when he drove Baartman to long-off where Viljoen dropped a low chance.
Markram was undefeated on 80 at the beginning of the 19th over to be delivered by Sikandar Raza.
It proved a delight for Markram and a disaster for Raza as the spinner went for 28 in the over (646642) with the final delivery – a straight drive for six – taking Markram to his first ton of this season’s competition and his second overall.
Stand up. Applaud. Repeat. 🔥😍 pic.twitter.com/EAE29qnrV2
— Durban's Super Giants (@DurbansSG) January 17, 2026
Markram’s fine innings ended in controversial circumstances in the final over when a full-toss from Viljoen, which looked well over waist height, forced him to defend himself from injury and the ball lobbed back to the bowler.
Should we bow? Yes 💙 pic.twitter.com/DWUd1cl8pU
— Durban's Super Giants (@DurbansSG) January 17, 2026
Viljoen only conceded four runs off the over and the wickets of Markram and Jones as DSG finished on 189.
The fast bowler finished with his team’s best figures of 4-21 off his four overs.
DURNAN’S SUPER GIANTS: Aiden Markram (capt), Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler, Kane Williamson, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Liam Livingstone, Evan Jones, Gerald Coetzee, Eathan Bosch, Simon Harmer, Kwena Maphaka.
PAARL ROYALS: Kyle Verreynne (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Rubin Hermann, Daniel Lawrence, David Miller (capt), Sikandar Raza, Delano Potgieter, Hardus Viljoen, Waqar Salamkheil, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman.