Skipper Aiden Markram blasted an unbeaten 40-ball 62 to help Sunrisers Eastern Cape keep alive their hopes of a third successive SA20 title with a 32-run win over Joburg Super Kings in the eliminator. Captain Aiden Markram’s love affair with the Pretoria ground continued with the skipper’s 62 not out off 40 balls setting up the Sunrisers’ 184/6. Super Kings’ run-chase stuttered throughout, with the Joburg side unable to put together any meaningful partnerships as they slipped to 152/7 in their 20 overs.
The eliminator was virtually decided in two separate overs of each innings. The Sunrisers innings were delicately poised at 149/5 with 12 balls remaining when Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen bashed 29 runs off Lutho Sipamla’s penultimate over. Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s bid to win an unprecedented hat-trick of SA20 titles remains on track as they beat the Joburg Super Kings by 32 runs in an eliminator and will now meet the Paarl Royals in Qualifier 2 on Thursday for a place in the final.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : The forecast looks OK for today, 60m and 64m square boundaries, 79m is the straight boundary. The altitude though plays a role with the batters looking to clear the boundaries. The wicket does look, there are a few cracks around, not much grass, there could be a bit of weather and there could be some swing with the new ball. Batting first, 180 could be a par score. Advantage batting second though, reckon Pommie Mbangwa and Chris Morris, in their pitch report.
Toss : Joburg Super Kings skipper Faf Du Plessis won the toss and chose to bowl with Donovan Ferreira out with the injury handing a debut to JP King in the playing XI. Sunrisers Eastern Cape skipper Aiden Markram batting first is pretty happy with the decision as he decides to go without making any changes in the playing XI.
Skipper Aiden Markram’s 40 ball 62 powers SEC to 184 for 6 in 20 overs after a powerful partnership with Marco Jansen
Having opted to bowl first, JSK were in for a pasting when SEC openers David Bedingham and Toni de Zorzi sped off to flier with 46 run-stand inside the first four overs, but with spinner Imran Tahir and Maheesh Theekshana operating in tandem very early into the innings, JSK fought. From 46/0 in 3.1 overs, SEC found themselves in a spot of bother at 75/4 by the ninth over. Theekshana accounted for de Zorzi for 14, before du Plessis took a stunner off Tahir to remove Bedingham for 27 off 14.
After bleeding 42 runs in the first three overs, JSK, who had remained winless in four previous SA20 outings at this venue, came roaring back into the contest thanks to the efforts of Maheesh Theekshana, Moeen Ali and Imran Tahir, three tweakers who have previously used Chepauk’s bald strip as a canvas to let their imagination run wild.
The trio not asphyxiated the opponents but accounted for each of the first three wickets to fall. In the process, SEC had slipped from a very healthy looking none for 46 to a slightly malnourished 3/67 after 7.3 overs. It was further compounded when Jordan Hermann was sent back by Hardus Viljoen for a run-a-ball 10. At 4/75 with 11 overs remaining, Aiden Markram knew he had to save the entertainment, if any, for later.
Moeen Ali chipped in with the wicket of Tom Abell for 10 off 10 and Hardus Viljoen added Jordan Hermann’s scalp, who made just 12. However, with their aces still up their sleeves, SEC breathed fire in the second half, with their best player of the tournament, Aiden Markram directing traffic in the middle.
So Tristan Stubbs and he went against their natural attacking instincts and dotted up because they knew they possessed the power game to catch up in the end. The first phase of their 56-run stand had a lot of dot balls, some singles and a couple of boundaries (23 off 24 balls).
With the rot arrested, at least momentarily, Stubbs pumped Theekshana onto the roof over deep-midwicket. He hit another six off Viljoen a few overs later as the two batters slowly but surely began to turn the screws. In this sense, it was a very Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde innings. That was more true for Aiden Markram, who assumed the role of aggressor after Stubbs was dismissed against the run of play by the evergreen Tahir.
Marco Jansen, who has shown he can use the long handle to devastating effect, joined and a switch was flicked. Much of that carnage was reserved for Sipamla, whose line and length malfunctioned all night. JSK couldn’t turn to any other bowler so Du Plessis gave him the all important 19th over. He was welcomed with a pump down the ground by Jansen. By the time the over was done, he had given away two more sixes and as many fours, his none for 73 off four overs one of the most expensive figures in recent times.
This is what Aiden Markram can do. At an earlier point of time in his career, he was a touch impatient and had the tendency to get out rather than try to play the waiting game. These days He plays like he believes he’s the main man of the piece. His first 25 balls yielded only 30 runs but he scored 32 off his next 15, a captain essaying a dual role — firefighting before capitalizing on some loose bowling to put his team in front — to perfection. After posting 184, he marshalled his troops rather well to defend the total with relative ease.
Aiden Markram was ably supported by Tristian Stubbs (26 off 21) and Marco Jansen (23 off 12) as the SEC ransacked 75 runs in the last five overs, including a 29-run 19th over bowled by speedster Lutho Sipamla. The 26-year-old spell of 4-0-72-0 is now the most expensive in the SA20 history.
Disciplined SEC bowlers led by Craig Overton powers SEC to Qualifier 2 eliminating JSK by 32 runs
In reply, JSK would have hoped for a breezy start, and Devon Conway and du Plessis did exactly that, putting 40 on the board in the first five overs. However, Jansen got the crucial breakthrough against the run of play with the wicket of Conway for 30 off 20. Conway looked in red hot as he had clobbered Jack Gleeson for three straight boundaries an over prior.
Three overs later, Faf Du Plessis’ flat batted swat found the hands of his counterpart Markram to had Baartman a vital wicket. Liam Dawson added JP King’s wicket a ball later and by the 10th over, JSK were behind the right-ball, requiring over 11 run per over, with their batting might already in the hut.
Even though Jonny Bairstow tried to keep JSK in the fight with a spitfire innings of 30 off just 17 deliveries, Ali’s four-ball duck proved costly for the Super Kings. And when Bairstow departed in the 15th over to Dawson, the game was done JSK. Evan Jones remained unbeaten off 22 off 17 balls as JSK managed 152/7 in their 20 overs, losing the match by 32 runs.
The eliminator was virtually decided in two separate overs of each innings. The Sunrisers innings were delicately poised at 149/5 with 12 balls remaining when Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen bashed 29 runs off Lutho Sipamla’s penultimate over. Sipamla conceded three sixes, two boundaries, and delivered a no ball to finish with the second-most expensive figures of 0/72 in SA20 history.
In contrast, the Super Kings were on track at 91/3 after 12 overs, requiring 94 from 48 balls with set batters Jonny Bairstow and Wihan Lubbe at the crease. Sunrisers skipper rolled the dice and opted to bowl out seamer Craig Overton. The decision reaped the desired rewards, with Overton sending down a miraculous double-wicket maiden by dismissing both Lubbe and Moeen Ali as the Super Kings slumped to 91/5. On Thursday, they face Paarl Royals in the same venue for a spot in Saturday’s final. If history is anything to go by, back SEC.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Faf Du Plessis losing skipper of JSK said : I thought we were excellent with all the injuries we had. The bowlers really stepped up, one of two overs in the backend were the difference, that’s the game of T20 cricket. You get a night when someone gets a hold of you, and unfortunately it was this night for us. This was a par score and we should have chased it down, but as a batting unit we have been under par. One of us needed to carry on and get a big score.
I knew it would be a good wicket, we adjusted with the three spinners and they bowled really well. We should have chased that 180 odd. I think we showed great fight. If any team gets 7 injuries through the tournament, they’d be looking at the barrel of the gun but we showed great fight.
It was scratchy and ugly at times, but we managed to put in some performances. Very proud of the guys specially from the bowling perspective. We are very lucky in the SA20 that the fans came out in big numbers. Definitely. (on if he’ll play next year).
Aiden Markram the winning skipper and Player of the Match for 62 runs of SEC said : Lot of credit to the boys. We haven’t put a complete game of cricket throughout and tonight was the closest we got. The bowlers were brilliant, the ball came on even better under lights so lot of credit to our guys.
We saw the odd one react differently and that’s why we wanted to wait before using the spinners. It is all about execution on a surface like this. It was a tricky one to pace our innings, but we hit a phase where Stubbs and I got into the groove, and then Marco chipped in with a valuable knock. I think tomorrow will be another used wicket, we will have to assess again. The good part is no more travelling for us.
South Africa batter Aiden Markram’s knock helped the Sunrisers post 184-6 as opener David Bedingham chipped in 27 and wicketkeeper Tristan Stubbs made 26. Veteran spinner Imran Tahir finished the pick of the Super Kings’ attack with 2-21 while Hardus Viljoen claimed 2-37.
Devon Conway and Faf du Plessis put on 40 for the first wicket in 4.2 overs in response for the Super Kings, but after they slipped to 91-5 in the 13th over it became an uphill struggle. Jonny Bairstow briefly threatened to turn the tables during a 17-ball 37 but when he was bowled by Liam Dawson the result became a formality. Dawson collected 2-35 while Craig Overton was standout bowler for the Sunrisers with 2-20.
Batting has not been the two-time SA20 defending champions – Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s – strongest this year, but when it mattered the most skipper Aiden Markram lead from the front before the bowlers managed to strangle a very formidable Joburg Super Kings batting line-up at the Supersport Park, Centurion in the Eliminator on Wednesday.
At the Highveld, this time of the year, a score of 184 is defendable one, but SEC would have wanted to add a few more for cushion, but as it would have it, it proved enough for the likes of Craig Overton, Marco Jansen and Ottniel Baartman to restrict the JSK to 152/7.
A superb performance from the reigning champs has ensured that they fight on. They will now be playing the Paarl Royals tomorrow in the second eliminator while the Super Kings have been eliminated. 184 looked like a par total on this wicket, and with the Sunrisers going pace heavy on a wicket that was gripping, it looked like they would be in trouble. The pacers however have done the franchise a solid, as they combined for five of the seven wickets.
Jansen got rid of Conway and then Baartman foxed Faf du Plessis with a slower delivery. Dawson kept things tight in the middle overs, picking up a couple of wickets and then Overton delivered a double wicket maiden. It looked like the Super Kings were headed for a heavy defeat at one stage, but Jonny Bairstow proved some fight with a brisk 37. After his wicket though, the game was pretty much sealed as Sunrisers Eastern Cape cantered away to a 32-run victory.
So the Joburg Super Kings have been eliminated. The champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape are one match away from making it to a third consecutive final. But a defiant Paarl Royals stand in their way. This win keeps SEC alive in the competition as they will now face Paarl Royals, who lost to MI Cape Town in the Qualifier 1 a day earlier at Port Elizabeth, while Faf du Plessis-led JSK’s campaign comes to an end.
SEC won by 32 runs, which means they will return to this ground on Thursday needing to beat Paarl Royals to earn a place in Saturday’s final at the Wanderers – where, it is to be hoped, even prayed, the whistlers will leave their whistles at home.