Ken Borland

Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach Adrian Birrell is ever-pragmatic and measured, and he did not need to ruminate long for the reasons behind his team’s 76-run defeat at the hands of MI Cape Town in the SA20 final at the Wanderers on Saturday evening: They were simply the better team.

MI Cape Town were just better on the night (and probably all season, to be fair) in all three departments as the two-time defending champions failed to pull off what would have been an incredible hat-trick of titles. To win a T20 competition three seasons in a row is incredibly rare; locally, only the Titans have managed it (2015/16-2017/18) and Jaffna Kings in Sri Lanka and Sialkot Stallions in Pakistan are believed to be the only other franchises to have pulled it off.

Everything went right for MI Cape Town as they won the toss and bucked the recent trend and elected to bat first at the Wanderers. Runs on the board in a final are worth more and Ryan Rickelton (33 off 15) and Rassie van der Dussen (23 off 25), the best opening pair in the competition, wasted no time in claiming the advantage. They hit an astonishing six sixes in the first five overs in a first-wicket stand of 51, and although Sunrisers fought back well to claim four wickets in the next six overs, MI Cape Town had important contributions from Connor Esterhuizen (39 off 26) and Dewald Brevis (38 off 18) which enabled them to post 181 for eight.

It was a good score on a Wanderers pitch on which the ball sometimes gripped and turned; the class new-ball bowling of Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada soon turned it into a formidable score. While MI Cape Town had raced to 51 without loss in the first five overs, Sunrisers struggled to 25 for two.

From there it was always going to be an uphill task for the defending champions, and they were eventually bowled out for 105 in the 19^th over.

Left-armer Boult set the tone with two for nine in his four overs, while Rabada wrapped up the victory to claim four for 25. In between, spinners Rashid Khan (4-0-19-1) and George Linde (4-0-20-2) bowled brilliantly.

“Credit to MI Cape Town, they played a really good game of cricket,” Birrell said afterwards. “They have been the most consistent side and they deserve the trophy. I thought 180 was about par, but the ball swung a bit tonight and they have a formidable attack which was really good tonight.

“It’s very difficult to chase 180 when you get behind the game and they bowled very well. And they played a different brand to us with the bat – they hit 15 sixes and only eight fours, usually it’s the other way round. The ball carried well here and that hurt us,” Birrell said.

MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan was delighted by the most dominant SA20 campaign yet. His team were able to amass the most log points (35) in the history of the competition and then won their qualifier by 39 runs and the final by 76.

“I’m definitely happy because last year and the year before we finished bottom, now we have won the final and scored the most points in the group stage, to win five matches with bonus points is unbelievable. Everyone contributed, we won as a team and did not depend on one or two guys,” Rashid said.

New Zealand star Boult, who claimed 11 wickets in the tournament and conceded just 6.94 runs-per-over, certainly did not mean it in any derogatory way when he said MI Cape Town had a very simple on-field approach and a harmonious changeroom that ensured a positive environment.

“We just tried to keep things very simple: bat first and put runs on the board and then unleash our experienced bowling attack. I could sense the unity when I walked into the changeroom on January 1 and we were able to keep things similar through the whole competition. It was a true collective effort.

“I’m very fortunate to play for such a great franchise as the Mumbai Indians group and this is my fourth trophy with them. We have very great owners and they provide a great environment to perform, while expecting us to do a good job,” Boult said.

If Saturday’s SA20 final at the Wanderers is like the wedding feast to celebrate the successful conclusion of the third edition of the tournament that has changed South African cricket, then Thursday night was a wonderful bachelor party for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape as they romped to an eight-wicket win over the Paarl Royals in Qualifier 2 at Centurion.

The comfortable victory, with four balls to spare, puts Sunrisers into their third successive final and the two-time champions will be taking on MI Cape Town in a mouthwatering final clash.

It was 23-year-old Jordan Hermann who took the Eastern Cape side to their target of 176 with his marvellous 69 not out off 48 balls. But it was another left-hander who set up the victory, Tony de Zorzi opening the batting and stroking a beautiful 78 off just 49 deliveries, with 11 fours and two sixes. His play through the off-side was particularly elegant and he reminded everyone what a serious player he is.

Kwena Maphaka snatched up the wicket of David Bedingham (9) for Paarl Royals in the fourth over, but De Zorzi and Hermann then feasted, adding 111 off 73 deliveries for the second wicket.

Jordan Hermann’s older brother Rubin was also involved in a wonderful second-wicket partnership for the Royals, adding 99 off 65 balls with Lhuan-dre Pretorius, whose time in the limelight will surely come.

Rubin Hermann was also unbeaten, scoring 81 not out off 53 deliveries to take Paarl to a competitive 175 for four in their 20 overs, after electing to bat first. Opener Pretorius batted with great maturity, scoring 59 off 41 balls, to show he is ready for bigger things.

They ensured that the Royals started well, while Hermann and Andile Phehlukwayo (22* off 11) provided the big finish they needed. But it was in the middle overs that they faltered, as the admirable Sunrisers attack gobbled up three wickets in four overs, Paarl slipping from 105 for one in the 13^th to 126 for four after 16 overs.

The key breakthroughs were by English paceman Craig Overton, who had Pretorius caught behind, and captain Aiden Markram, who trapped opposite number David Miller lbw, missing a sweep, for just 6. They both ended with excellent figures of one for 24 in four overs.

The Paarl Royals were the form team in the competition, being the first to qualify for the playoffs, but Sunrisers Eastern Cape have been able to supplant them with a trademark surge in the final week.

“The Sunrisers always seem to be slow starters, but the most important thing is that they catch up in the end,” Miller said after another playoffs disappointment for the Royals. “Once you develop a winning squad like they have, then there’s a lot of trust and they really back each other.

“They are clever and gutsy cricketers, they never say die and that goes a long way in T20. They give everything in the field, they have amazing bowlers, especially the three-metre guys with height and pace in these conditions, and the batsmen have stepped up at certain stages when needed,” Miller graciously said.

De Zorzi thanked Markram for his backing, but in truth the 27-year-old deserves credit for his tenacity in smashing down the door once it was left ajar.

“I’m really grateful for the chance and to Aiden for showing faith in me, even though it’s not really warranted in this format. I haven’t played that many T20 games and you need to play more to find your rhythm and blueprint. Sometimes you have doubts, but I am still relatively young and I need to keep believing. I was glad to do it tonight because it gives me hope and this is an unforgiving format,” De Zorzi said.

The Joburg Super Kings were playing in conditions as close to the Wanderers as you can get, but in the end the two-time defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, were too great an adversary as they won their SA20 Eliminator by a convincing 32 runs at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday night.

Having won the toss and followed their usual template by sending the opposition in to bat first, Super Kings had reduced Sunrisers to 75 for four after nine overs and all was well. But the Eastern Cape skipper, Aiden Markram, was still there and his experience and skill in pacing the rest of the innings were vital.

Markram and Tristan Stubbs added 56 off 43 balls for the fifth wicket, before Stubbs was dismissed by veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir (4-0-21-2) at the start of the 17^th over for 26 off 21 deliveries. But Marco Jansen came in and proved that he too can be a deadly force at the death.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape lashed 48 runs from the last three overs to take them to a competitive 184 for six. Markram played the key innings of 62 not out off 40 balls, while Jansen belted 23 off 12.

Poor old Lutho Sipamla has hit the heights in this year’s SA20 and has been rightly praised far and wide. But on Wednesday he travelled all over SuperSport Park, conceding 72 runs in his four overs.

Openers David Bedingham (27 off 14) and Tony de Zorzi (14 off 9) laid into him with the new ball, his two overs going for 33 runs as Sunrisers lashed 42 runs off the first three overs. Sipamla then had the misfortune to bowl the penultimate over and was massacred for 29 runs as he went for three sixes and two fours.

Markram has been full of praise for his bowlers for keeping them alive in this year’s competition and they once again came to the fore to defend a total that the captain admitted he “was a little worried about”.

Devon Conway opened the batting for Super Kings and gave them a brisk start with his 30 off 20 balls. But the other batsmen battled to obtain the same momentum as the Sunrisers bowlers tightened up and gave little away.

Joburg had battled through to 91 for three after 12 overs on the hour mark, when Craig Overton struck a devastating double-blow. The Englishman had Wihan Lubbe (13 off 18) caught behind and then ended a maiden over by dismissing the dangerous Moeen Ali for a duck, Liam Dawson taking a sharp catch at backward point.

The Super Kings, without the injured Donovan Ferreira and a host of bowlers who are also crocked, just weren’t as agile as their opponents in adapting to tough situations. Jonny Bairstow hit left-arm spinner Dawson for two fours and a six in the 15^th over to move quickly to 37 off 16 balls, but he then took up a reverse-sweep position too soon and the bowler fired in the yorker to bowl Joburg’s last hope.

Markram called his bowlers “incredible”, while appreciating that the troublesome batting is moving in the right direction.

“We probably could have got a few more runs with the bat and I would have been happy with 195+ or more than 200 if we really pulled away. So I was a little worried when we went out on to the field to defend 185, but luckily our bowlers are incredible and they bring a lot of calm.

“The bowlers have been really good the whole tournament and there are so many different types of experience in the attack, especially with the seamers. They bounce ideas off each other, they almost run the show with very good plans and I’m happy with that. Liam Dawson has also been massively under the radar because he really helps us get ahead of the game.

“The batting just hasn’t clicked so we keep having to play catch-up, but there were good signs tonight. That opening partnership was massive, it allows you, if you lose a flurry of wickets, a bit of time, which is important, especially at a venue like this. The other guys were able to spend some time at the wicket, which was positive,” Markram said.

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape now take on Paarl Royals at Centurion on Thursday evening, the winner going through to the final against MI Cape Town at the Wanderers on Saturday.

Joburg Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming, ever pragmatic, intimated that it felt like his team had been put out of their agony.

“If we unravel the season a bit, then we’ve probably just been hanging on. We’ve been missing a lot of glue because of injuries and we’ve had holes in each game, so we just haven’t been accurate enough. Sunrisers played very well, they got themselves out of a difficult situation, but I thought 185 was about par.

“But we were sloppy with the bat, we gave wickets away too often and we needed one guy to get 75 or so. I hate looking for excuses but our player turnover has been high and we were just not able to settle. I take responsibility because in trying to take the team forward, I chopped and changed a bit and things got a bit confused. We were a bit frantic with the bat tonight when we needed calm,” Fleming said.

An inspirational late blast by Donovan Ferreira was not quite enough to pull off a miracle win for Joburg Super Kings as they went down by 11 runs to Durban Super Giants in a rain-affected SA20 match at the Wanderers on Saturday night.

Joburg Super Kings were chasing a revised target of 147 in 16 overs after rain interrupted their innings on 31 for one after 3.4 overs. The magical mystery spin of Noor Ahmad (4-1-25-3) thoroughly undermined their chase though, and at 87 for six after 13 overs, the visitors seemed to be heading to a comfortable victory.

But with 60 runs needed off 18 balls, Ferreira then began to pull off the miraculous. He smashed left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for three sixes and a four in the 14^th over and then hit paceman Naveen ul-Haq for 16 in the 15^th over. His two sixes were both incredible strikes of well over 100m – on to the roof of the Centenary Pavilion and then over the Memorial Stand!

That left 21 needed off the last over, and Dwaine Pretorius was brought into the attack for the first time. The 35-year-old showed all his experience and, after Ferreira had swung so hard for a two that he pulled an abdominal or back muscle, Pretorius had him caught behind, using one of his favourite strategies of bowling around the wicket to the right-hander, pitching it outside off-stump and going further away.

Ferreira’s 51 off 22 balls was an incredible effort however, sprinkled with five magnificent sixes. He had earlier bowled his off-spinning darts to good effect, conceding just 16 runs in three overs. He is a key player for Joburg Super Kings and they will be hoping any injury is healed before their all-important Eliminator against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Centurion on Wednesday.

Noor was earlier bang on target when he came on to bowl straight after the rain interruption. He hit bullseye with his first delivery, a beauty that turned sharply and bowled Faf du Plessis (14 off 9) through the gate as he looked to drive.

The Afghan then zeroed in on Wihan Lubbe’s leg-stump, bowling the left-hander around his legs two balls later. Sibonelo Makhanya (13) was his third victim, edging an attempted slog-sweep at a googly and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock taking the sharp chance.

Joburg Super Kings certainly did not field their strongest outfit and Jonny Bairstow and Imran Tahir are sure to return for the Eliminator.

It was not a great night for their two frontline spinners, Tabraiz Shamsi (2-0-25-0) and Maheesha Theekshana (4-0-36-0), and Joburg Super Kings were once again grateful for Lutho Sipamla turning in another stellar performance.

Sipamla had Marcus Stoinis caught by Ferreira at slip for a duck and only conceded 24 runs in his four overs, which included a maiden. Sipamla has now taken 12 wickets in eight matches and is conceding just 6.88 runs-per-over; with Lungi Ngidi not setting the world alight and consistently being under an injury cloud, is it not time for the Central Gauteng Lions bowler to be elevated above him in the national pecking order?

Durban Super Giants did not have a good start after being sent in to bat, with the departure of Stoinis leaving them on 39 for three in the sixth over – that followed an opening stand of 39 between Matthew Breetzke (23) and De Kock (16).

Kane Williamson brought the calm, measured approach he is famous for as his 22 helped stabilise the innings in a fourth-wicket stand of 64 off 45 balls with Heinrich Klaasen.

The New Zealander was dismissed by Hardus Viljoen, who produced an admirable first three overs that saw him boast figures of two for 20, but those stats were ruined by Klaasen, who produced the sort of hitting and finishing ability for which he is globally revered.

Klaasen hammered 76 off 47 balls, with six sixes, a fantastic innings which lifted Durban Super Giants to a very competitive score of 173 for four. With Wiaan Mulder contributing 30 not out off 22 balls, things ended poorly for Joburg Super Kings, Viljoen conceding 23 runs in the penultimate over.

Durban Super Giants will be pleased to end a bad campaign with just their second win; Joburg Super Kings, meanwhile, have a poor record when it comes to consistency: they won their first two games but have not won back-to-back since then.

If they are to reach the final, they will need to do just that next week.