By Ross Roche.
English star Jos Buttler struck a defiant half century to help the Paarl Royals just do enough to qualify for the semifinals of the Betway SA20 competition, despite a heavy 59-run loss in their final pool match against the Pretoria Capitals at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday night.
It was an incredibly tense chase despite the big margin of defeat, as after the Capitals had amassed a huge 226/5 batting first, the Royals had to at least reach 163 with the bat to make sure that their net run rate stayed ahead of Durban’s Super Giants who ended the pool stage level on points with them.
Buttler was then the hero in a shambles of a chase, clubbing his way to 70 off 45 balls (4×4; 5×6) to get the Royals just short of the line, with the lower order doing the rest as they ended their innings on 167/9.
The Royals chase got off to a decent enough start, as Irish import Paul Stirling, 19 off 10 balls (3×4; 1×6) got stuck in as 29 came off the first two overs.
But two wickets in five balls rocked the Royals as Stirling was caught on the deep square leg boundary by Senuran Muthusamy off the bowling of Eathan Bosch and Jason Roy (10) was trapped LBW by Anrich Nortje as they slipped to 30/2 in the fourth over.
Mitchell van Buuren (5) was caught by Jimmy Neesham off the bowling of Migael Pretorius in the last over of the powerplay, leaving them in a spot of bother on 38/3.
Former England limited overs captain Eoin Morgan then joined current limited overs captain Buttler at the wicket and they shared in a quick 29-run stand off 18 balls.
Morgan dominated the partnership as he struck three fours and a six in a 12-ball 24, but just as they looked like they were reviving the innings, Morgan holed out to Neesham at deep midwicket off the bowling of fellow Englishman Adil Rashid as they slipped to 67/4 in the ninth over.
David Miller (11) and Buttler then tried to consolidate with a 34-run fifth wicket partnership, before Miller was caught by Theunis de Bruyn at midwicket off Pretorius with them in trouble on 101/5 in the 14th over.
Neesham then claimed a double strike in the 16th over, with both Andile Phehlukwayo (3) and Evan Jones for a duck, caught, which sent Paarl deeper into the mire on 115/7.
With his partners fast running out Buttler then stepped up to the plate and hammered a six and two fours off Colin Ingram’s 17th over and smashed a six and two fours off the first three balls of Neesham’s 19thover.
But the fourth ball saw Buttler caught off a top edge by Rilee Rossouw, with them still needing 10 to qualify off the final eight balls, but he had done enough as Bjorn Fortuin (8) helped get them over the qualification line.
At the start of play the Royals won the toss and chose to field, with a sparkling half century from Sri Lankan top order batter Kusal Mendis helping the Capitals set them a massive 227 to win.
The Capitals innings got off to a flying start as openers Mendis and Phil Salt, 39 off 21 balls (3×4; 3×6) tucked into the first four overs, crunching 66 runs.
Fortuin’s first over went for 15, the second bowled by Codi Yusuf went for 13 and the third from Lungi Ngidi went for 14, but it was the fourth from Jones that really travelled as Mendis and Salt helped themselves to a six and four each as 24 came off it.
Fortuin managed to stem the tide in the fifth over with just three off it, which allowed Ngidi to strike in the sixth as he had Salt caught behind by keeper Buttler, as the Capitals ended the powerplay on 71/1.
De Bruyn (12 off 14 balls) struggled to find his range and was eventually caught by a blinder at gully from Morgan, who flung himself to his right to take the catch off Andile Phehlukwayo’s bowling, with the Capitals on 93/2 in the 10th over.
Rossouw (13) also battled to get the ball away, while Mendis continued playing his shots around him, before Rossouw was bowled by Yusuf at the start of the 13th over, with the Capitals in a strong position on 126/3.
Mendis then finally found a willing partner in Ingram, 41 off 21 balls (4×4; 2×6) and they set about a quickfire 57-run fourth wicket partnership off just 26 balls, with Mendis powering past his half century along the way.
With a century in site, Mendis then chanced his arm one time too many, as he tried to club an Ngidi slower ball over mid-off for six, only for a back-peddling David Miller to take a good catch in the deep to send him on his way.
Jimmy Neesham, 22no off 11 (1×4; 2×6) then joined Ingram and they finished the innings with a flourish, clouting the last three overs for 41 runs.
PRETORIA CAPITALS: Phil Salt (wk), Kusal Mendis, Theunis de Bruyn (capt), Rilee Rossouw, Colin Ingram, Jimmy Neesham, Senuran Muthusamy, Migael Pretorius, Eathan Bosch, Adil Rashid, Anrich Nortje
PAARL ROYALS: Paul Stirling, Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Roy, Mitchell van Buuren, David Miller (capt), Eoin Morgan, Andile Phehlukwayo, Evan Jones, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Lungi Ngidi.