Image Credit- SA20
In a brilliant team effort at Newlands, Sunrisers
Eastern Cape destroyed Durban’s Super Giants by 89 runs to win back-to-back
SA20 titles. Marco Jansen spearheaded the attack with an incredible five-wicket
haul.
The Sunrisers, who had won the toss and elected to bat
first, amassed a substantial total of 204 for 3 thanks to a potent batting
display centred around two notable partnerships: Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell
struck 90 runs from 52 balls, and Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs, who
top-scored with 56 not out from 30 balls, struck an unbroken 98 runs from 55
balls.
Durban’s innings, on the other hand, never gained any
momentum. Following Friday’s Qualifier triumph over the Joburg Super Kings,
they travelled down from Johannesburg early in the morning. Their batters were
completely outmatched in a fierce powerplay display that was highlighted by
Jansen’s towering left-arm angles and Dan Worrall’s aggressive seam and swing.
Quinton de Kock lost his wicket early in their innings
after hitting a flat-footed drive at Worrall and inside-edged onto his stumps
for three runs. If Jansen hadn’t spilled JJ Smuts at slip first ball, he might
have had two in two. However, Jansen quickly atoned, forcing Smuts to chipped
drive to mid-off from his second delivery, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa could have had
a third-ball duck by flapping a loose clip to the same fielder at slip.
With Durban down to seven for three, the match was all
but gone. Wiaan Mulder tried his hardest to salvage a 56-run partnership with
an almost perfect Matthew Breetzke, but Jansen would be Sunrisers’ man to
strike again, this time in the field. When the tenth over came to a close,
Simon Harmer was the only player who could have reached Mulder’s swing for the
ropes, but he stretched beyond the boundary, arms fully extended, to send
Mulder on his way for 38.
Heinrich Klaasen has been the tournament’s best
ball-striker, racing to 447 runs at an incredible strike-rate of 207.90.
However, this time, he was only able to last one delivery, as Baartman landed
his inswinger and trapped Stephen Harris for an on-field leg before wicket,
despite the ball appearing to be clipping leg.
The end arrived suddenly. After making a comeback in
his third over, Jansen removed Keshav Maharaj’s off stump and took two wickets
with his final three deliveries to extinguish any opposition. A ball later,
Junior Dala picked out Harmer at long-on after Junior Dala had flicked him off
his pads for a symbolic six. Reece Topley was then dealt with by another
off-stump heat-seeker, setting off the celebrations.