Miller smashes Paarl Royals to win over Sunrisers
Captain hammers an unbeaten 37 at the death, including four sixes, to help his side claim a five-wicket victory at St George’s Park
Paarl Royals captain David Miller hammered an unbeaten 37 at the death, including four huge sixes, to help his side claim a comfortable, five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape in their SA20 League fixture at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, on Tuesday.
Chasing 131 for victory, opener Jos Buttler whipped a breezy 51 off 39 deliveries before Miller (37 off 23) saw to it the visiting side cruised home in the penultimate over.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, an innings of substance from Sunrisers batter Jon-Jon Smuts saw the home side battle their way to 130/7 in testing conditions in front of their vocal “Orange Army”.
Smuts, who spent 15 seasons plying his trade at the famous Park Drive venue, struck nine boundaries on his way to a brisk 65 runs off 49 deliveries.
The home side lost openers Adam Rossington, caught by Miller off Bevan Fortuin, and Jordan Hermann, caught by wicketkeeper Buttler off Evan Jones, for a combined eight runs from the 14 deliveries they faced collectively.
Smuts, who earlier shared 28 runs with Hermann, then had Markram for company, the pair adding 44 runs for the third wicket before the skipper was bowled by Andile Phehlukwayo with the score on 74/3.
Smuts combined with Tristan Stubbs to take the score past 100 before the former was struck plumb in front of his stumps by the Royals’ leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
The men in orange lost their next three wickets for just 28 runs as Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, and Jones closed out the innings.
With just five bowlers in their arsenal, the Royals bowled well as Jones and Phehlukwayo ended with 2/27 and 2/26, respectively, while Fortuin, Ngidi and Shamsi claimed one wicket each.
Chasing 131 for victory, the Royals’ English connection Buttler and Jason Roy showed intent as they raced to 38 before Roy was caught by Sarel Erwee off Marco Jansen for eight, with the Royals ending the power play on 47/1.
Buttler anchored the visitors’ innings as they lost Wihan Lubbe, trapped leg before wicket by Roelof van der Merwe for two runs with Royals moving past the 50-run mark.
They lost a third wicket, that of Mitchell van Buuren, who was caught by Van der Merwe off Sisanda Magala for 14 before Buttler brought up his second half-century of the tournament.
He fell an over later for 51, bowled by left-arm spinner Van der Merwe, who moved back to the top of the wicket-takers’ list.
The Paarl side lost their fifth wicket when Andile Phehlukwayo (4) tried to clear the ropes but only succeeded in picking out James Fuller at deep backward square leg.
Royals captain Miller and Dane Vilas shared an unbeaten partnership of 40, which included the Miller sixes and saw 25 runs come off the 17th over, bowled by Magala, to claim the win with seven balls to spare.
Van der Merwe ended the match with figures of 2/11 from his quota, while Jansen, Magala and Smuts claimed one each.