Top half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Matthew Breetzke and superb bowling from New Zealander Adam Milne led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to an impressive 48-run bonus-point win over the Pretoria Capitals in their SA20 clash at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Monday night.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, the Sunrisers reached a strong 188-6 in their 20 overs, thanks to De Kock’s 77 off 47 balls (5x4; 6x6), Breetzke’s 52 off 33 (7x4; 1x6), and a cameo from Jordan Hermann, 37 off 20 (5x4; 1x6), that got them to a very defendable target.
The Capitals were then well in the chase at the halfway stage of their innings, but Milne helped spark a collapse that saw the visitors lose their last seven wickets for 43 runs.
The Kiwi recorder great figures of 4-25 in his four overs and was backed up very well by Tharindu Ratnayake (2-15).
The Capitals' chase got off to a disastrous start as Marco Jansen struck in the first over, having Bryce Parsons (1) gloving behind to keeper De Kock, with the score 3-1.
But opener Will Smeed, 35 off 27 balls (4x4; 1x6), and Shai Hope, 36 off 19 (5x4, 1x6), combined for the innings' biggest partnership (47 runs) to get them on track.
The West Indian dominated the second-wicket partnership, cracking a few lusty blows, but in the final over of the powerplay he was yorked by a slower ball from Milne, which flattened his off stump, and by the end of it the Capitals were on 57-2.
Dewald Brevis (12) was next in and hammered Lewis Gregory for a six and four off successive deliveries, but the bowler got his revenge as the young Proteas star went for a third successive boundary, only to find Breetzke at wide long on as they slipped to 77-3 in the eighth over.
Smeed and Connor Esterhuizen (9) guided the Capitals to 94-3 at the halfway mark, and the visitors were still in the chase at that stage.
But the Sunrisers took control of the match within the next four overs, as the Capitals lost three wickets for 14 runs.
First Senuran Muthusamy got the crucial wicket of Smeed, bowling the opener with a viciously spinning delivery, Esterhuizen soon followed him after chopping on Milne, and Wihan Lubbe (5) was disastrously run out after a mix-up between him and Sherfane Rutherford, 25 off 19 (3x4; 1x6), leaving their chase in tatters on 111-6.
Keshav Maharaj (7) and Rutherford tried to revive things with a 22-run stand, but Milne slammed the door shut on the Capitals' chase in the 17th over, as he had Maharaj skying to Jonny Bairstow at the start of it, and Rutherford caught by Jansen at long off at the end, with the match effectively over at 138-8.
Ratnayake finished things off with a second straight double-wicket over in the 18th, as he bowled Codi Yusuf (1) and had Lungi Ngidi (1) caught by Jansen as the Capitals crashed to 140 all out.
HALF CENTURIES FOR DE KOCK AND BREETZKE
At the start of the match it was a mixed start to their innings for the Sunrisers, as De Kock launched Tymal Mills for a six and a four in the first over that went for 12, but in the second Bairstow (2), having already been dropped, chopped on off Ngidi (18-1).
But De Kock received perfect support from new man Breetzke as they tore into the rest of the powerplay.
The duo powered their side to 64-1 by the end of the powerplay, before kicking on to a fantastic 116-run second-wicket stand.
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A couple of quiet overs from Maharaj going into the halfway point pulled the hosts back a bit, but De Kock brought up a well-deserved half century in the eighth over, before they reached the 10 over mark on 90-1.
They then opened up again as Yusuf went for 13 in the 11th over, Maharaj for 15 in the 12th and Ngidi for 14 in 13th as the Eastern Cape side cruised past 100 and the batsmen brought up their century partnership.
But the Capitals fought back through their part-time bowlers, as Parsons first had De Kock stumped by keeper Hope, after he came down the wicket, and Lubbe bowled Breetzke with a yorker as the Sunrisers slipped to 134-3 in the 14th over.
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Quinny scores 77 off 47 balls on his home debut for the Sunrisers 🏡🟠
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That brought the in-form Hermann in, who picked up where he left off against the Paarl Royals, as well as captain Tristan Stubbs (9), and they added 29 to the total.
But it was a brilliant final three overs from the Capitals that kept the Sunrisers under 200, as just 20 runs were conceded, while they also picked up three wickets, with Stubbs holing out to Parsons off Mills at deep-backward square leg in the 18th over, before Parsons and Mills teamed up again to get rid of Hermann in the 20th.
SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE: Jonny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock (wk), Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Hermann, Tristan Stubbs (capt), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Adam Milne, Tharindu Ratnayake, Lewis Gregory
PRETORIA CAPITALS: Will Smeed, Bryce Parsons, Shai Hope (wk), Dewald Brevis, Connor Esterhuizen, Sherfane Rutherford, Wihan Lubbe, Codi Yusuf, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Lungi Ngidi, Tymal Mills