Staff Reporter.
An unbeaten 47 by Leus du Plooy guided the Joburg Super Kings to victory as they successfully chased down 128 off the second-last ball of the match after birthday boy Aaron Phangiso and Gerald Coetzee took four wickets apiece to bundle the Sunrisers Eastern Cape out for an under-par score in their Betway SA20 clash at the energy-filled Saint George’s Park in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Reeza Hendricks departed early in the chase as he flayed at a ball outside the off stump that was taken by Tristan Stubbs on the deep point boundary for six off seven balls off the bowling of Sisanda Magala. It continues to be a disappointing tournament for Hendricks with the bat, after a stellar run of form in T20Is in 2022.
Hendricks was the only blip on the scorecard in the powerplay for the Joburg Super Kings as they eased to 47-1. Neil Brand fell to the Bulldog, Roelof van der Merwe, for a laboured run-a-ball 16 when he gave himself room only to edge the ball into his own stumps.
Jordan Hermann then effected the runout of Sibonelo Makhanya as Leus du Plooy looked for a quick single to the right of him, but he didn’t account for his swift movement and throw that left his partner short of the line.
Donovan Ferreira tried to slog a big six, but ran straight past a delivery from Van der Merwe for an eight-ball four. That left Du Plooy and Shepherd with the task of seeing their team home.
Van der Merwe bowled a brilliant 19th over that left Sisanda Magala with eight to defend off the last over. That turned into five needed off two balls as Magala nailed his yorkers, before missing it on the fifth ball which Du Plooy worked to the square-leg boundary for four and it ended up being the winning runs as Magala had overstepped as well.
PHANGISO, COETZEE STAR WITH THE BALL
Earlier on the Joburg Super Kings got off to a good start as Gerald Coetzee took the wicket of Hermann, who was one of the stalwarts in the last win for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, for three off five deliveries and he was soon joined in the dugout by Sarel Erwee who set off for a non-existent single to be runout for a second-ball duck to leave the home team on 17-2 after three overs.
However, Adam Rossington got the Sunrisers rolling with some big hits to lift the home side to 45-2 at the end of the powerplay.
Captain Aiden Markram failed to join the party as he top-edged a pull shot off Ramario Shepherd to be dismissed for five off eight balls.
Rossington eventually departed to the wily Aaron Phangiso who bowled a tight over before getting him caught behind for a 31-ball 40 when he was too early into a pull shot.
Phangiso continued to weave his magic as he saw Stubbs coming down the pitch and pulled his length back to have him stumped for a 10-ball four.
He followed it up with the wicket of the inform Jansen who skied an attempted slog sweep and was caught by Donovan Ferreira for six off five balls to leave the home side reeling on 62-6.
James Fuller and Smuts rallied for a 40-run partnership before Smuts became the fourth victim of Phangiso for 22 (18) when he didn’t make proper connection on a reverse sweep.
Gerald Coetzee came back into the attack and clean-bowled Brydon Carse for 11 (10) before taking the wicket of Van der Merwe in his next over thanks to a fantastic catch by the captain running back and putting in a perfectly timed dive.
He closed the innings off with a slower ball that Fuller hit straight to Du Plessis at long-off for 27 (20). Coetzee and Phangiso ended with excellent figures of 4-24 and 4-20 respectively.
Donovan Ferreira, who kept in place of Kyle Verreynne who was left out for Sibonelo Makhanya, took four catches and made a stumping in a good showing behind the stumps.
SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE: Adam Rossington (wk), Jordan Hermann, Sarel Erwee, Jon-Jon Smuts, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Brydon Carse, James Fuller, Roelof van der Merwe, Sisanda Magala
JOBURG SUPER KINGS: Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (capt), Neil Brand, Leus du Plooy, Sibonelo Makhanya, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Ramario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Gerald Coetzee, Aaron Phangiso, Maheesh Theekshana .