By David Knowles.
From the bottom of the table a few games ago, the Joburg Super Kings clinched the last play-off spot in this year’s Betway SA20, making history in chasing down 203 to beat the Durban Super Giants by seven wickets at the Wanderers on Saturday, off the penultimate ball of the match.
They finished on 209/3 after the Super Giants compiled a challenging 203/6. Facing a run rate of 10.15 to the over, the Super Kings came out with guns loaded from the first ball, openers Faf du Plessis and Leus du Plooy tucking into the Super Giants pace bowlers, belting them all around the ground.
They were well ahead of the Super Giants, reaching 50 in just 29 balls and 72/0 in the six-over powerplay, the first time the openers had gone past fifty in a six-over powerplay in this year’s competition.
They constructed 102 for the first wicket in a mere nine overs, Du Plessis falling for 57 from 29 balls (7×4, 3×6).
Du Plooy was given a life on 15 and the score 40 when he was dropped in the deep by Keemo Paul off a huge skier.
He marched on to 57 from 47 balls (5×4, 2×6), easily the leading run scorer for the Super Kings on a ground where he averages 50.
Wayne Madsen, a new addition to the Super Kings this year, carried on the momentum, striking an undefeated 44 from 29 balls (5×4, 1×6) and using the sweep to great effect.
He too was dropped, at long off by Tony de Zorzi, when he had 41, but he shared in a second-wicket partnership of 57 with Du Plooy and 36 with Moeen Ali (26) to take the Super Kings to the brink of victory.
With 13 needed off the last over, Donovan Ferreira strode to the wicket with four balls remaining and proceeded to strike 14 from three balls with two massive sixes.
Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad was by far the standout Super Giants bowler with 2-16 in his four overs, outstanding considering the scoring going on around him.
The only other bowler to taste success was Dwaine Pretorius with 1-50 in 3.5 overs.
Asked to bat by Du Plessis, the Super Giants recovered from 32/3 to go beyond 200 thanks to a 115-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Jon Jon Smuts (55) and Wiaan Mulder (58).
This set the platform for Heinrich Klaasen to smash 40 from 16 balls (3×4, 3×6) putting on 56 for the sixth wicket with Paul, whose contribution was an undefeated seven.
Lizaad Williams took 3-47 in four overs, becoming the leading wicket taker in the competition with 15.
Of the other five bowlers used, New Zealander Doug Bracewell bagged 2-40 in his four overs and Nandre Burger 1-40 in his allotted four overs.
Super Giants captain Keshav Maharaj, while disappointed at the loss, was satisfied with how his team had performed, seeing the loss as an important focus point ahead of the qualifier against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape on Tuesday at Newlands.
Du Plessis, who took the Man of the Match award for his innings of 57 was proud of his team’s batting effort and their approach in chasing down the biggest total to date in the two editions of the competition.
His Super Kings are involved in an eliminator against the Paarl Royals at the Wanderers on Wednesday.
Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis (capt), Leus du Plooy, Reeza Hendricks, Wayne Madsen, Moeen Ali, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Doug Bracewell, Dayyaan Galiem, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Imran Tahir
Durban’s Super Giants: Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Keemo Paul, JJ Smuts, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Noor Ahmad, Reece Topley, Naveen-ul-Haq.