A 40-ball 60 from Jonny Bairstow was not enough as Joe Root’s Paarl Royals beat Joburg Super Kings by six wickets in the SA20. Jonny Bairstow hit three sixes and two fours as the Super Kings, who were 36-4 at one stage, posted 146-6.Paarl Royals registered a clinical win over Joburg Super Kings by six wickets in Match 15 of the SA 20 2025 on Monday, January 20 at Boland Park, Paarl.
After being put in to bat first, Super Kings posted 146/6 in their allotted 20 overs courtesy of a brilliant half-century by Jonny Bairstow (60 off 40). In reply, Royals chased down the target in 19.1 overs as Mitchell Van Buuren (44 off 45) and captain David Miller (40* off 32) guided their team home. Despite his half-century ending in a losing cause, Jonny Bairstow was adjudged Player of the Match as Royals went to the top of the points table.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : “This pitch is slow and a little low. It is not easy to drive the ball. You have to use the width and pace. This is pretty much the centre wicket. 60 and 63 meters on the side, 80 down the ground. It is dry and dusty looking grass. It has been hot and dry in Paarl. The spinners will be key. The wind will play a factor. As a batter you want to utilize the wind. The team with the most 2s end up winning,” inform Mark Nicholas and Vernon Philander.
Toss : Paarl Royals skipper David Miller won the toss and chose to bowl with two changes in the playing XI. Joburg Super Kings skipper Faf Du Plessis batting first made three changes in the playing XI.
Jonny Bairstow, Ferreira rescue Joburg’s innings to 146 for 6 in 20 overs
Super Kings were in trouble from the beginning. They lost Devon Conway, Faf du Plessis and Leus du Plooy inside the PowerPlay and were down to 36/4 in the seventh over as Moeen Ali also departed. Super Kings didn’t get off to a good start after being asked to bat first as Bjorn Fortuin (2/22) rocked them early with a couple of strikes in the powerplay.

The left-arm spinner first shattered opener Devon Conway’s (7 off 6) stumps and later got captain Faf Du Plessis (18 off 19) caught at short third man. To pile on the misery, Mujeeb ur Rahman outfoxed Leus de Plooy (6 off 6) leaving Super Kings reeling at 33/3 in 5.1 overs.
Wickets continued to tumble for Joburg as Moeen Ali (1 off 8) also got holed out to long off against Joe Root which left them in all sorts of trouble at 36/4 in 6.5 overs. After early blows, Jonny Bairstow held one end for the Royals and got involved in a crucial 67-run stand off 36 balls with Donovan Ferreira (32* off 19) for the sixth wicket.

Sibonelo Makhanya and Jonny Bairstow stopped the rut for a while, doubling their team total before the former was run out in the 14th over. Jonny Bairstow and Ferreira then put on 67 runs in just 36 balls to push the team ahead. Jonny Bairstow smashed three sixes off Kwena Maphaka in the 19th over to reach his half-century before being dismissed in the 20th. Ferreira finished unbeaten on 32 as Super Kings amassed 65 off the last five overs. Their stand helped their team reach a total of 146/6 in 20 overs.
David Miller and Mitchell Van Burren powers Paarl Royals to 6 wicket win over Joburg Super Kings
In reply, Paarl Royals lost their opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius early in the innings after his quick-fire start (27 off 14). Joe Root (6 off 8) and Rubin Hermann (19 off 15) also departed cheaply leaving Royals at 68/3 in 8.5 overs. Lhuan-dre Pretorius started well in chase but the Royals lost both openers (him and Joe Root) inside the PowerPlay. Imran Tahir then took out Rubin Hermann in the ninth over but what followed was a match-winning stand between Mitchell Van Buuren and captain David Miller.

They comfortably navigated past the middle-overs in a 71-run stand off 57 balls that put them within touching distance of victory. Even as Van Buuren fell in the 19th over, the equation was down to just four off the last six balls. Miller took his team over the line with a six over long-on.

However, a 71-run stand between Mitchell Van Buuren and David Miller off 57 balls for the fourth wicket, put their team in a commanding position as they eventually won the game by six wickets and took the spot on points table with four wins from five games.
Presentations and Road Ahead
David Miller the winning PR skipper said : Very delighted, nice to get over the line. We had them by the throat, but last 2 overs let us down but that is the nature of the game and I thought it was a par score. I thought the guys at the top batted really well and got us off to a good start. We got a adaptable squad and we play according to the condition and the last 2 years we started really well and finished badly, and that is something we keep in mind and we have all bases covered for now.
Faf Du Plessis the losing JSK skipper said : When you come in and bat first and you know it is going to get easier in the second innings, you really need to push to 180 and then you are in the game. We batted poorly in the first 8 overs. Once a partnership grows, it gets easier in the middle. When you are behind the eight ball, you kind of sit back mentally and this game has a funny way of finding things out.
Jonny Bairstow Player of the Match for his 60 runs said : I thought we had a competitive score, but 15-20 short maybe. Their bowlers put us on the back foot and fair play to them. If you go a bit too early, then you might be 5-6 down early, but if you are brave enough to keep wickets in the back end, to exploit the shorter side that would be really great. Absolutely loving my time here and what an amazing country.
Paarl Royals usurped MI Cape Town to the top of the SA20 points table following a comfortable six-wicket win over Joburg Super Kings at home in Paarl. Jonny Bairstow scored a 40-ball 60 and Donovan Ferreira attacked at the death but they could only push the Super Kings to 146/6, which the Royals surmounted on the first ball of the final over.
The surface definitely played better under lights, but the Royals did most things right in every department to clinch this. Chasing what appeared to be a challenging total, the Royals got off to a flier thanks to a breezy cameo from Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Although both openers got out in quick succession, Van Buuren played the holding role for major part of the chase. His calmness and approach helped the others to play their natural game and more importantly, helped stay ahead of the NRR.
The JSK spinners did get some purchase, but if anything, they were a touch shorter and unfortunately, their best spinner Shamsi had an off day with the ball today. Third successive win for the Royals and all 4 victories this season have come during the chase for them.
A 40-ball 60 from Jonny Bairstow was not enough as Joe Root’s Paarl Royals beat Joburg Super Kings by six wickets in the SA20. Jonny Bairstow hit three sixes and two fours as the Super Kings, who were 36-4 at one stage, posted 146-6. Moeen Ali was one of those dismissed early – out caught at deep extra cover off England team-mate Root for one. Root finished with 1-16 from four overs but was out for six in the fifth over of the Royals’ chase.
The Royals still eased to victory, however, with David Miller finishing 40 not out. With four runs needed at the start of the final over, Miller should have been out caught in the deep but seamer Lutho Sipamla overstepped. The South Africa international hit the next ball for six to complete victory with five balls to spare. Paarl go top of the table on 16 points at the competition’s halfway stage. Joburg are third on 10 points.