Cape Town: Defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape defeated Durban Super Giants by 89 runs in the final to clinch their second consecutive SA20 title at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
Opting to bat, the table toppers lost David Malan(6) early. But, right-hand batter Tom Abell (55 off 34 balls) and Jordan Hermann (55) stitched a 90-run partnership, taking their side past the 100-run mark after 10 overs. Durban's skipper Keshav Maharaj broke the partnership and sent both the set batters back to the pavilion in the span of just three balls, giving his side a chance to make a comeback in the game. However, the unbeaten stand of 98 runs by captain Aiden Markram (42*) and Tristan Stubbs (56*) powered Sunrisers to post 204-3 in a crucial final.
The Super Giants struggled from the outset and never seemed in control of the run-chase. They immediately found themselves in deep trouble, losing three of their in-form players including wicket-keeper batter Quinton De Kock (3 off 7 balls), Jon Jon Smuts (1 off 2 balls) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (0 off 3 balls) for a mere seven runs. However, opener Matthew Breetzke (18 off 27 balls) and Wiaan Mulder (38 off 22 balls) forged a 56-run partnership, raising a ray hope of a comeback.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Simon Harmer provided a much-needed breakthrough for the defending champions. Mulder, who looked dangerous, hit a powerful shot towards long-on, but Marco Jansen made the full use of his height with a timely jump and pulled out a stunner. Super Giants again lost three wickets inside six runs and were slipped to 69 for six, with Marco Jansen's left-arm pace proving devastating.
Star all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius displayed his power-hitting skills with a few classical cricket shots down the order, but it was only to reduce the margin of defeat. He smashed 28 runs off only 17 balls which included three fours and a six before hitting a yorker delivery straight into the hands of a short third-man fielder. Jansen cleaned up the tail and finished with figures of 5 for 30 as the Durban side capitulated to 115 all out.
Aiden Markran, who also captains Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), led the Cape Town-based franchise to a second successive trophy win in both seasons of the elite tournament. Markram-led side won the inaugural title by defeating Pretoria Capitals by four wickets. Hence, it would be interesting to see if the winning captain can replicate his stint in the world’s toughest league soon.
The SA20 tournament holds significant importance for Cricket South Africa's financial stability. However, it collided with their two-Test series against New Zealand, resulting in South Africa fielding a severely weakened side in their 281-run loss in the first game at Mount Maunganui.
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