Stupendously fast top-order batting and brilliant slow bowling by Roelof van der Merwe saw Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a record 124-run victory in their SA20 match at St George’s Park on Sunday night, and Durban’s Super Giants will be needing a rapid rethink of their strategies and performance.
Having won the toss and elected to bowl first, Durban’s Super Giants’ bowlers were all over the place and Sunrisers opener Adam Rossington was quick to capitalise. He plundered 72 off just 30 deliveries as the home side raced to 101 inside nine overs before Rossington ran himself out, wanting a second run, which was never on, off a free hit. The burly Essex batsman hammered 10 fours and four sixes and will be kicking himself because the first SA20 century was there for him on a plate.
With St George’s Park buzzing, the other opener, Jordan Hermann, maintained the dominance with a fluent, pugnacious 59 off 44 balls, adding 68 off 49 deliveries for the second wicket with Aiden Markram.
A shower of rain interrupted the Sunrisers’ charge one ball after Hermann was dismissed, but it passed after half-an-hour, and Markram and Tristan Stubbs ensured a rapid end to the innings as they bashed 31 runs off the last 21 balls to lift the home side to 210/2.
Markram played a fine innings of 44 not out off 34 balls, while Stubbs finished superbly with 27 not out off 13 deliveries, including an outrageous reverse-scoop for six off Jason Holder in the final over.
The biggest surprise was how poorly the Durban spinners bowled, Akila Dananjaya (3-0-19-0) apart, as Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen went for 65 runs in six overs.
Amid all the carnage, West Indian paceman Keemo Paul did not even bowl.
Your best
Durban Super Giants also ignored the accepted wisdom that your best batter needs to face as many balls as possible, Quinton de Kock only coming in at No.5 after the powerplay was already finished.
Slow left-armer Van der Merwe had just come into the attack and he bowled Heinrich Klaasen (1) with his first ball and then sent De Kock back to the dugout with a first-ball duck, the left-hander missing a sweep and being trapped lbw.
Spin had already worked a treat for Sunrisers as off-spinner Aiden Markram (3-1-11-1) had bowled Matthew Breetzke (3) in his first over and then bowled a maiden over in his second. With slow left-armer Jon-Jon Smuts also keeping things tight, Durban had limped to 35/2 in the powerplay.
Van der Merwe then ripped through the rest of the batting, taking an incredible 6/20 in his four overs, equalling Nono Pongolo’s mark for Jozi Stars v Tshwane Spartans in 2018 for the best ever figures in top-flight T20 cricket in South Africa.
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The winning margin of 124 runs, as the Super Giants were bundled out for 86 in the 15th over, was also the biggest so far in the SA20.
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