The end of the second week of the inaugural SA20 has seen the tournament move towards the business end of the league stage. There is now a week break as South Africa take on England in a ODI series. Upon the return to SA20 action, all six teams will have two to three matches left, all of which will have something on the line.
Match by match mini reviews
Match 10 - Paarl Royals vs Durban's Super Giants
Jason Roy was dismissed early into the Paarl innings, with fellow England opener Jos Buttler looking good before being stumped off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj. Wihan Lubbe was the mainstay of the innings as he struck a 33-ball fifty. Late hitting from captain David Miller saw the Royals set a target of 170.
In response, Kyle Mayers was dismissed early, along with Quinton de Kock and Dwaine Pretorius for ducks. Despite a solid innings, Wiaan Mulder could not build on his 29 and the Super Giants were in trouble at 47-4. Heinrich Klaasen finished on 56 but ultimately lacked the support to be able to get Durban towards the target. Evan Jones was the star with the ball for the Royals, claiming four wickets.
Match 11 - Johannesburg Super Kings vs Pretoria Capitals
The Super Kings were able to arrest their poor powerplay performances as Reeza Hendricks and Faf du Plessis were able to navigate in an unbroken, albeit circumspect, manner. Hendricks, though, was unable to score quickly as du Plessis fell for a brisk 27. Hendricks eventually found his feet with 45 off 50 balls with quality support from Leus du Plooy. The latter brought up his fifty off 35 balls and incredibly ended on 75 off 40, with 21 coming from the penultimate over. Will Jacks, meanwhile, took a sensational one-handed catch on the boundary; Eathan Bosch was the standout with the ball with 3-0-12-3.
In response, Alzarri Joseph snared the prize wickets of Jacks and Rilee Rossouw early in consecutive deliveries. Phil Salt made his usual blazing start but was gone for 29. Aaron Phangiso was impressive in derailing the Capitals' chase, taking 4-32. He was targeted by Jimmy Neesham in his final over but ended up getting the last laugh. There was brief tension as Adil Rashid struck a six to bring the equation down to 16 needed off seven balls but Romario Shepherd bowled a superb last over to see JSK over the line.
Match 12 - MI Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape
Dewald Brevis departed early before a strong second-wicket partnership helped to set Cape Town up. The two involved, Ryan Rickelton and Grant Roelofsen, were dismissed in the same over for 46 and 56 respectively. Roelof van der Merwe then struck twice in as many balls, including Sam Curran first ball. Late cameos from Odean Smith and Delano Potgeiter, featuring 23 taken off the final over, saw Cape Town up to 171.
Jofra Archer produced a sharp run-out to get rid of Jon-Jon Smuts early, while Curran was expensive in his first two overs. Captain Rashid Khan yorked his opposite number Aidan Markram with his first ball, before Curran removed the dangerous Tristan Stubbs to leave Cape Town in a strong position. The reason why it was such a strong position was because Cape Town had 67 to defend in the last five overs with Khan, Archer, Curran all with an over to bowl and Kagiso Rabada with two. Not to mention, Sunrisers were six down with numbers seven and eight at the crease. What happened next was scarcely believable.
Marco Jansen took 28 off Khan's last over to drastically reduce the required rate as he brought up an incredible 20-ball fifty. His 66 off 27 managed to get the equation down to just four needed off seven balls, before he was bowled by Rabada off the last ball of the 19th over to leave SEC eight down. A nervy final over, bowled by Curran, ended anti-climactically in a front-foot no-ball with seemingly one still required off two balls.
Match 13 - Johannesburg Super Kings vs Pretoria Capitals
The first ball of the match saw Hendricks' struggle continue as he was caught behind. Despite that, du Plessis and du Plooy combined to make an electric start, scoring 53 after four before du Plooy skied one straight after. Du Plessis was dismissed the first ball after the powerplay for 51 off just 22 balls. That fast start was not to last, however. From 70-2 after the powerplay, JSK somehow found themselves 78-7 at the halfway mark. Anrich Nortje and Neesham were the stars of the show with 4-0-12-3 and 3-0-7-3 respectively as the Super Kings limped to 122 with 26 balls still remaining.
Jacks ensured the chase got off to a flying start with 34 off just 16 balls as the Capitals reached 70-3 at the end of the powerplay. Unlike JSK, they were able to see the job home as Salt led the side home with a 28-ball fifty to seal an easy six-wicket win and a bonus point.
Match 14 - Paarl Royals vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape
A great catch from Brydon Carse saw Buttler dismissed early, before he was joined by Roy who was bowled by Markram for six. A slow innings lost hope when Miller was tamely dismissed to leave the Royals 81-5 in the 13th over; Paarl eventually limped to 127-7.
Sunrisers made a fast start before they were halted as Lungi Ngidi claimed two in two. The chase was steadied by Jordan Hermann and Markram before left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin claimed three scalps in one over to leave SEC 93-5. It could have been four in the over as Jansen was given out lbw but he was reprieved after a successful review. Jansen then played out a maiden in Fortuin's final over to leave him with 4-1-20-3. The bonus point hopes were dashed with 26 still needed after the 16 over mark, but Jansen and Stubbs saw them home with ten balls left.
Match 15 - Durban's Super Giants vs Pretoria Capitals
Another platinum duck, this time for Mayers, was the beginning of a tough powerplay for DSG. Nortje castled de Kock to leave Durban 20-3 after four overs. The in-form Klaasen provided some substance but his dismissal via Rashid for 31 saw the Super Giants languishing at 66-6. The spinners Rashid (4-1-10-1) and Senuran Muthusamy (4-0-12-3) were backed up by pacers Wayne Parnell (3-0-12-2), Bosch (3-0-10-2) and Nortje (3.1-0-15-2). Neesham's sole over accounted for 25% of the total.
Mayers returned the favour of being out first ball of the innings to Salt before having an lbw decision overturned with the enormous amount of swing he generated ultimately proving too much. Jacks took the attack to the bowlers once more, racing to another fifty, this time off just 22 balls as he helped make light work of the chase and secures an easy bonus point. The chase was done in just 7.4 overs, with the Capitals cruising to an eight-wicket demolition.
Match 16 - MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals
Cape Town got off to a poor start in the powerplay, with Rickelton chipping the ball straight back to Fortuin in the first over. Curran was then avoidably run out before Brevis was out lbw in the same over for just two off ten balls. Having been 10-3 off four overs, Roelofsen and Rassie van der Dussen got to work to repair the damage before George Linde added impetus. Van der Dussen's 49 helped Cape Town to 142.
In response, Roy picked out long-off perfectly to go for four off eight balls and Lubbe was fortuitously bowled next ball. The Royals were four down early but Buttler and Miller steadied the ship before the latter holed out for 26. Archer then claimed the key wicket of Buttler caught behind for 68 off 58 off the first ball of the penultimate over with 22 needed; he went on to concede just four off the over. Khan's four overs went for just 16 singles as MICT defended their modest total to win by 13 runs.
Match 17 - Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Johannesburg Super Kings
Adam Rossington dominated the early scoring with 40 off 31 balls out of SEC's total of 53-4 before he was caught behind off Phangiso. Stubbs and Jansen then followed in the same over to leave Phangiso 3-8 off two and Sunrisers in trouble at 62-6 at the halfway point. The Sunrisers eventually battle to 127 all out with Phangiso taking 4-20 and Gerald Coetzee claiming 4-24.
The chase was steady in response, with du Plessis once again leading from the front before he was dismissed for 37 to leave JSK 80-3 with 48 still required. A good fightback from SEC through their left-arm spinners van der Merwe (4-0-16-2) and Smuts (3-0-8-1) was ultimately in vain, despite five still needed off two balls, as a composed du Plooy saw his side home with 47 not out off 40 balls.
Match 18 - Paarl Royals vs Pretoria Capitals
The impressive Fortuin got the prize wicket of Jacks in the first over. Miller then took a great catch to get rid of Kusal Mendis for 37. A fifty from Theunis de Bruyn helped to set a platform for the Capitals but they were pegged back by the excellent Ngidi. The big quick claimed 1-19 off his four overs and conceded just three runs off the 19th over as Pretoria finished on 158-6.
Roy began strongly before he chopped on for 21. A strong partnership between Buttler and Dane Vilas saw the equation reduced to 40 needed off five overs. The introduction of part-timer Jacks threatened to derail the Royals' hopes as he incredibly snared Vilas with his first ball and Buttler with his third. In the end, a Miller special saw his side home with two balls to spare.
Match 19 - Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Durban's Super Kings
A barnstorming start was made by Sunrisers in the powerplay as Rossington smoked 46 off 20 out of 67-0. Having brought up his fifty in 21 balls, the English opener then ran himself out for an incredible 72 off just 30 balls. Naturally, the momentum then slowed before Hermann reached his fifty in 40 balls. Skipper Markram played a solid innings and Stubbs' late hitting saw SEC to an imposing 210-2.
In response, Markram removed Matthew Breetzke early before Mulder provides some impetus to the innings before a great catch from Sisanda Magala saw him dismissed for 29 off 15 balls. The fifth over of spin inside the opening seven overs saw the evergreen van der Merwe get the in-form Klaasen for just 1 and then de Kock first ball. He then got his third and fourth as he removed West Indians Holder and Kyle Mayers respectively to make it 57-6 after nine overs. Van der Merwe went on to collect two more to end on career-best figures of 4-0-20-6 as DSG subsided to 86 all out to hand SEC a comprehensive win.
Match 20 - MI Cape Town vs Pretoria Capitals
The old adage is that 'catches win matches' and that would have certainly played a factor in this match. Within the first eight balls, both Jacks and Mendis were dropped and each proved costly as the pair crashed 84 in the powerplay. Jacks brought up his fifty in just 19 balls before he was out off the bowling of Odean Smith for 62 off 27. Khan got rid of the dangerous Rossouw for one en route to picking up his 500th wicket in t20 cricket; he finished with 4-0-16-3. Archer also helped himself to three wickets, albeit more at a more expensive rate than his captain. Pretoria still managed to put up a challenging 182-8 despite scoring 98-8 in their last 14 overs.
Rickelton departed early for 11, before Curran was dismissed by his England teammate Rashid with a big turning delivery for 22 off 18. The game was poised with 89 needed off eight overs but once Nortje removed Brevis for a 30-ball 46 the momentum was gone. Instead, a big collapse followed as Cape Town were bowled out for 130 as the Capitals helped themselves to another bonus point as Parnell claimed 3-14.
Match 21 - Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Paarl Royals
The in-form Rossington was dismissed in the first over for four after a good catch from Miller. Smuts was the main man for Sunrisers and he brought up his fifty in 40 balls with the score at 74-2; he eventually went for a solid 65. Ngidi was once again impressive for the Royals, taking 1-21 off his four. Interestingly, the wind seemed to affect a couple of late hits that instead lead to catches as SEC ended on 130-7.
Roy's form continued to falter as he struggled to eight off 16 balls before being dismissed. Buttler, on the other hand, was flying. He brought up his fifty in 36 balls as he anchored the chase. Van der Merwe continued his unbelieable form took the big wicket of Buttler with 51 still needed off seven overs. The Royals stumbled a bit as they found themselves five down with 30 required in three overs. It was up to captain Miller again to help his side home, striking two sixes off the first two balls of the 18th before another sailed over the ropes to leave the equation at 10 needed off 14. Miller's unbeaten 36 off 22 helped seal the victory, not helped by van der Merwe's stunning 4-0-11-2.
Match 22 - Durban's Super Giants vs Johannesburg Super Kings
De Kock fell early again in the tournament, but Mayers got off to a blazing start before he departed for 28 off 15. That was off the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana who then removed Mulder shortly after without scoring. Klaasen once again provided an important platform for DSG as he brought up his fifty in 37 balls. The impressive Coetzee (3-0-21-3) got the wicket of Klaasen for 65 before a late salvo from Holder in the shape of an unbeaten 28 off 12 balls saw DSG up to 178-6; Theekshana claimed 3-30.
A solid start from JSK in reply saw them 72-0, helped chiefly by du Plessis. Hendricks at points was four off 15 balls and 25 off 37 as he continued to struggle. Du Plessis, meanwhile, had no such concerns. He brought up his fifty in 33 balls as he continued his incredible one-man show. Hendricks did eventually get going, picking up 14 off the last three balls of the 16th over before he was dismissed for 45 off 46 at 157-1 with just 22 needed off 21 - a demonstration of du Plessis' imperious night. The JSK skipper then made his way to the first ever SA20 hundred off just 54 balls as he sealed an eight-wicket win with his eighth six as he finished on a stunning 113.
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