Synopsis
Paarl Royals solidified their lead in the SA20 Season 3 standings with a five-wicket win over Durban’s Super Giants at Kingsmead. With this victory, the Royals are close to playoff qualification, while the Super Giants are struggling at the bottom of the table.Key Takeaways
- Paarl Royals secure top position in SA20 Season 3.
- Mujeeb-ur-Rahman shines with 2-23.
- Super Giants struggle at the bottom of the table.
- Rubin Hermann leads chase with 44 runs.
- Next match for Royals against Pretoria Capitals.
Durban, Jan 24 (NationPress) Paarl Royals have solidified their standing at the pinnacle of the SA20 Season 3 leaderboard with a gritty five-wicket triumph over Durban’s Super Giants at Kingsmead.
The Super Giants remain at the bottom of the rankings, holding eight points, and face a daunting challenge to secure a playoff spot with just three matches left in the league. Under the guidance of Lance Klusener, they can aim for a maximum of 23 points if they win all their remaining games along with a bonus point.
Currently, the Royals sit on 20 points and are on the verge of becoming the first team to qualify for the Season 3 playoffs.
The match showcased a duel between the enigmatic Afghan spinners, Mujahed-ur-Rahman from the Royals and Noor Ahmad of the Super Giants.
Mujeeb delivered a phenomenal performance, taking 2 wickets for just 23 runs, which restricted the Super Giants to a score of 142/7.
This was an impressive feat, particularly after the Super Giants started strong with a 62-run opening partnership featuring Matthew Breetzke (25) and Quinton de Kock (43).
Although De Kock was promoted to the opening slot and it proved to be beneficial, he unfortunately fell to a catch at deep long-off against Mujeeb just as he appeared to be getting into form.
Mujeeb also dismissed the perilous Heinrich Klaasen for just two runs, as the Royals tightened their grip during the middle overs.
Allrounders Wiaan Mulder (24) and Jon-Jon Smuts (32) tried to stabilize the innings, but the momentum had clearly shifted towards the Royals.
They managed to cope even with the early dismissal of Joe Root, as Lhuan-dre Pretorius accelerated the innings with a swift 25 runs off just 13 balls.
The Super Giants looked to Noor Ahmad to emulate Mujeeb’s earlier performance. However, Rubin Hermann emerged as a standout player for the Royals with an explosive 44 runs off only 22 balls to lead the chase.
Noor proved to be a quality bowler, producing what could be considered the ball of the match to clean bowl the well-set Hermann. Unfortunately for the Super Giants, this was their only success of the evening.
Mitchell van Buuren anchored the innings with a steady 44, bringing the Royals close to a resounding victory.
The Royals are set to face the Pretoria Capitals on Saturday at Boland Park with high hopes, while the Super Giants must quickly regroup ahead of their match against MI Cape Town at Newlands.
