Marco Jansen‘s breathtaking knock, featuring six towering sixes, propelled Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a commanding total of 208/4 against Paarl Royals in a high-octane encounter. The defending champions, buoyed by Marco Jansen‘s fireworks, then delivered a stellar bowling performance to restrict the opposition to 164/7, securing a convincing 44-run victory and a crucial bonus point.
Marco Jansen’s Heroics Propel Sunrisers to Formidable Score
Opting to bat first, Sunrisers faced an early setback with the departure of Dawid Malan in the third over. However, a resilient 77-run partnership between Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell steadied the ship. Despite a relatively slow start, Sunrisers shifted gears, notching 35 runs in the PowerPlay and accelerating the scoring rate in the later overs. Abell’s aggressive innings of 46 off 25 balls set the stage for Jansen’s heroics.
Entering the fray at 85/2 in the 11th over, Marco Jansen showcased his prowess by completely transforming the innings. He embarked on a remarkable onslaught during the death overs, smashing sixes with incredible precision. Marco Jansen’s onslaught included a flurry of boundaries and sixes, especially off Obed McCoy, where he amassed 25 runs in a single over. Displaying impeccable timing, Marco Jansen reached his half-century off just 22 balls. Tristan Stubbs joined the party, contributing to a blistering finish with a quickfire 20 off Evan Jones in the penultimate over. Sunrisers amassed 89 runs off the last five overs, finishing with an imposing total of 208.
Jos Buttler’s Fifty Goes in Vain as Royals Stumble
In response, Paarl Royals commenced the chase aggressively, with Jason Roy and Jos Buttler amassing 63 runs in the PowerPlay. However, Liam Dawson’s breakthrough in the eighth over, dismissing Roy, marked the beginning of the Royals’ downfall. Although Buttler reached his fifty in the 11th over, Beyers Swanepoel’s crucial dismissal halted his impressive innings at 64.
The Royals struggled through the middle overs, losing wickets consistently, and failing to keep up with the mounting required run rate. Dawson, Jansen, and Swanepoel wreaked havoc, each picking up two wickets. Despite a valiant effort from David Miller, the Royals fell well short of the target, finishing at 164/7.
With this victory, SunRisers Eastern Cape sealed their spot in the top 2 and will face the Durban Super Giants in Qualifier 1 on February 6. Meanwhile, the Royals lost their third consecutive match and will now finish 3rd and will face one from Joburg Super Kings or MI Cape Town in the Eliminator. The Royals and SunRisers will play each other in their final group stage game.