By Ross Roche.
An all-round effort from the Paarl Royals saw them power to a crushing seven wicket win over the Joburg Super Kings in their SA20 match at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday night.
The Royals bowlers were superb in restricting the Super Kings to 134 batting first, while Jos Buttler’s half century led the batting effort as they cruised over the line in the 15th over for a bonus point win.
In the chase it was Buttler, who ended unbeaten on 70 off 37 balls (8×4, 3×6) and Wihan Lubbe, 39 off 30 (2×4, 3×6) that shared in a 87-run second wicket stand that essentially ended the game as a contest.
Their innings got off to a good start, despite the early wicket of Jason Roy (5) trapped LBW by Lizaad Williams in the second over, as Buttler and Lubbe set about their partnership playing shots all around the ground as most of the bowlers came in for some tap.
Only Imran Tahir managed to stem the flow of runs in the powerplay with just three runs coming off the sixth, but the Royals were cruising at that stage on 60/1.
Another tight over from Tahir, with just two runs off the eighth over gave the Super Kings a bit of hope, but a disastrous ninth over from Williams basically ended the contest.
It was an 11 ball over that featured two no balls, three wide balls, one of which went to the boundary for five wides, and saw Buttler crunch two fours and a six as 26 runs came off it that took them to 99/1 after nine overs.
Tahir seemed to be the lone fighter for the visitors with another good over as a single in the 10th took the Royals to their hundred, but with the last ball Lubbe was pinned LBW leaving them on 102/2 at the end of it.
Moeen Ali bowled new man David Miller (2) in the next over, while Tahir conceded just five in his last over, including a single that saw Buttler to his fifty, as he ended with impressive figures of 1/12.
Buttler then tucked into the 13th from Aaron Phangiso with a four and six seeing 14 off it, while his six at the end of the 14th brought the scores level, with Mitchell van Buuren (8no) knocking a single at the start of the next to win the match.
At the start of play the Super Kings won the toss and chose to bat but were pegged back by an impressive Royals bowling effort led by Lungi Ngidi who picked up 3/17, with Obed McCoy backing him up claiming 2/31, while there were also three run outs in the innings.
Leus du Plooy, 71 off 43 balls (7×4, 3×6) stood man alone for the visitors in a fantastic innings as he watched wickets tumble at the other end.
It was a slow start as just two boundaries were hit in the opening four overs, while McCoy had Reeza Hendricks (8) fending to keeper Buttler leaving them on 18/1.
Ngidi bowled the final over of the powerplay and superbly bowled Faf du Plessis (9) and had Wayne Madsen caught by Van Buuren at third man for a first ball duck, with the Super Kings struggling on 33/3 at the end of the it.
Du Plooy and Ali (18) looked to rebuild the innings and they set about a 36-run fourth wicket partnership as they took their side to the halfway mark on 65/3.
In the next over McCoy returned to make the breakthrough a short slower ball undid Ali who hit it straight to Ngidi at short third man.
Donovan Ferreira (5) was next to fall after a disastrous mix up saw him run out with two batters stuck at the same end as they slipped to 76/5.
Regular wickets continued to fall as Romario Shepherd was trapped LBW by Andile Phehlukwayo for a six ball duck and Phangiso (7), having hit Tabraiz Shamsi for a six, edged to Bjorn Fortuin at slip the very next ball to leave the Super Kings in deep trouble on 85/7 in the 15th over.
Du Plooy, who had been starved of the strike over most of the innings, finally got a chance in the 17th over and took aim at McCoy, crashing three boundaries while passing his half century, in an over that also featured four wides and went for 21 runs that boosted them over the hundred run mark.
Williams (2) edged Ngidi to Buttler in the 18th as they fell to 114/8, while Du Plooy managed to get hold of a couple balls from Phehlukwayo in the 19th, cracking a four and a six as 13 came off it.
In the final over Nandre Burger (4) and Du Plooy were both run out by Buttler in successive deliveries trying to steal byes to see the Super Kings all out for 134.
Paarl Royals: Jos Boyalsuttler (wk), Jason Roy, Wihan Lubbe, David Miller (c), Mitchell van Buuren, Fabian Allen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Obed McCoy
Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis (c), Reeza Hendricks, Leus du Plooy, Wayne Madsen, Moeen Ali, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Romario Shepherd, Lizaad Williams, Aaron Phangiso, Nandre Burger, Imran Tahir.