Durban, Jan 15, 2025, IANS

Durban, Jan 15 (IANS) SA20 delivered a double dose of highly entertaining mid-week action with the Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals claiming crucial victories over Durban’s Super Giants and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, respectively. The JSK spin trio of Tabraiz Shamsi, Donovan Ferreira and Imran Tahir combined in perfect tandem to propel the visitors to a 28-run victory at Kingsmead, while the Capitals seamers were influential in their six-wicket bonus point win over the defending champions. Super Giants’ middle-order batter Quinton de Kock played a lone hand of 55 (45 balls) to keep his team afloat in pursuit of JSK’s 169/4. But the door was open on the other end, though with Shamsi, Ferreira and Tahir snaring five wickets between them to bowl out the Super Giants for 141. Tahir also produced a moment of brilliance in the field, which proved to be hugely inspirational for the visitors. The 45-year-old showed off the athleticism of a teenager to snare a brilliant two-handed diving catch at point off a Wiaan Mulder reverse sweep. JSK were certainly galvanised by the veteran to squeeze the Super Giants middle order after the home team seemed well set at 99/4 with the dangerous pair of De Kock and Heinrich Klaasen at the crease. Klaasen (29 off 17 balls) was building up momentum by striking Matheesha Pathirana for a couple of boundaries and a six, but the Sri Lankan international exacted revenge by having the Betway SA20 Season 2 MVP caught down the leg side with the final ball of the 12th over to set in the collapse. Earlier, the Super Kings rallied to a competitive total through contributions from Leus du Plooy (38), Jonny Bairstow (26) and Ferreira (26) before Gerald Coetzee smashed the final two balls of the innings for six for the visitors to seize the momentum. At Centurion, the Capitals benefitted from winning the toss at Centurion, with captain Rilee Rossouw having no hesitation in electing to bowl. It immediately proved to be the correct decision on a surface that had been under the covers for a lengthy period of time with the home team’s fast bowlers gaining significant seam movement early on. Player of the Match Eathan Bosch (2-18) landed the first blow when the Season 1 Rising Star removed Sunrisers opener Zak Crawley. Bosch was well supported by Daryn Dupavillion (3-32), who struck with successive deliveries to send both David Bedingham and Sunrisers captain Aiden Markram back to the pavilion to leave the defending champions in tatters at 3 for 4. The visitors slipped deeper into trouble when Tom Abell and Tristan Stubbs also departed within two runs of each other. There was no way back from 26/5 despite allrounder Marco Jansen’s valiant 35-ball 51 that helped the Sunrisers to at least pass their lowest-ever total to finish on 113 all out. The Capitals stumbled initially during their run chase, with Richard Gleeson (2-31) picking up a couple of wickets for the Sunrisers, but ultimately the home team cruised home through an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership between Marques Ackerman (39 not out) and Liam Livingstone (14 not out). “We started off really well with the ball. Experience of Livingstone at the end and Marques played an excellent knock to take us past the line. On a tricky wicket, we wanted to take it as deep as we could and they played it really well to get us the bonus point,” said Capitals skipper Rilee Rossouw. “We were worried about our lines and lengths after the last game, but the bowlers stepped up and put it in the right areas," he added.