Cape Town [South Africa], : SA20 delivered a batting bonanza on Super Saturday, with the two Western Cape teams, MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals, completing fantastic run chases.
After missing a couple of matches, Ryan Rickelton returned to the MI Cape Town lineup and made an immediate impact with a fabulous 89 off only 39 balls , powering the home team to a seven-wicket bonus point victory over Joburg Super Kings. Meanwhile, Joe Root delivered a T20 masterclass to steer the Royals to an equally thrilling victory by eight wickets over Pretoria Capitals at Centurion.
The ‘El Clasico’ at a sold-out Newlands lived up to all its pre-match hype, with the fans treated to high-octane cricket.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis led from the front with a superb 61 from just 38 balls . Du Plessis passed 11,000 T20 career runs in the process the most by any South African batter.
Devon Conway played the supporting role in the 97-run first-wicket partnership, but a middle-order collapse saw the Super Kings lose four wickets for the addition of just nine runs.
The architect of JSK’s fall was Reeza Hendricks with his part-time off-spin.
England’s double World Cup winner Jonny Bairstow reignited the JSK innings with 43 not out off only 27 balls to lift the visitors to 172/5. But it was not nearly enough, with Rickelton in sublime form at the same ground where he struck a career-best 259 in the second Test against Pakistan just a couple of weeks ago.
The run-chase got the perfect start with a 70-run opening stand with Rassie van der Dussen in just 6.4 overs. Van der Dussen’s run out was merely a speed bump, with Rickelton and Hendricks continuing the carnage with a 92-run partnership off only 49 balls.
Hendricks finished unbeaten on 34 as the bonus point was achieved with one ball remaining, setting off raucous applause within a vibrant Newlands.
Earlier on Saturday, Root struck 92 not out off 60 balls as the Royals chased down the Capitals’ 212/5 with just two balls to spare.
The former English captain’s innings was a masterpiece of placement, timing, and innovation, showing that a T20 innings can consist of more than just power. It included 11 sweetly timed boundaries and two sixes.
The Royals had lost in-form Rising Star Lhuan-dre Pretorius to the first ball of the run-chase, much to the disappointment of the many Royals fans draped in pink at Centurion. However, this only led to the rise of a new SA20 star in Rubin Hermann the elder brother of Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s Jordan.
Rubin Hermann enjoyed a dream Royals debut with a strikingly good 33-ball 56 , forming an explosive 125-run partnership off just 69 balls with Root.
This set up the perfect platform for Royals captain David Miller to close out the game with Root through another unbroken 88-run stand off only 48 balls, securing the valuable four points.
The Capitals will be left wondering how they were not on the victorious side, after Will Smeed , Rahmanullah Gurbaz , and Kyle Verreynne had earlier set up an imposing total.
On a Centurion pitch that resembled a batting paradise, Royals’ mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s 2/28 from his four overs proved to be the difference, along with Root’s brilliance on the day.
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