Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Sunrisers demolish DSG to claim back-to-back SA20 titles

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Saturday, 10 February 2024 11:50

Sunrisers Eastern Cape 204 for 3 (Stubbs 56*, Abell 55, Markram 42, Hermann 42) beat Durban's Super Giants 112 (Mulder 38, Jansen 5-30) by 89 runs

Marco Jansen led the line with an outstanding five-wicket haul, as Sunrisers Eastern Cape crushed Durban's Super Giants by 89 runs to claim back-to-back SA20 titles in a formidable team performance at Newlands.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Sunrisers put a hefty total of 204 for 3 on the board, thanks to a forceful batting display built around two distinct partnerships - 90 from 52 balls between Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell, and then an unbroken 98 from 55 balls between Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs, who top-scored with 56 not out from 30 balls.
By contrast, Durban's innings never got any traction. After travelling down from Johannesburg in the morning following Friday's Qualifier victory over Joburg Super Kings, their batters were caught cold in a feisty powerplay performance, led by Dan Worrall's attacking seam and swing, and capped by Jansen's towering left-arm angles.

Their innings was rocked by the early loss of Quinton de Kock, who drove flat-footedly at Worrall and inside-edged onto his stumps for 3. He might have had two in two had Jansen not spilled JJ Smuts at slip first-ball, but Jansen made immediate amends, inducing Smuts into a chipped drive to mid-off from his second delivery, before Bhanuka Rajapaksa flapped a loose clip to the same fielder, Patrick Kruger, for a third-ball duck.

At 7 for 3, the contest was already as good as over, and though Wiaan Mulder did his best to reboot Durban's innings in a 56-run stand with a near-strokeless Matthew Breetzke, Jansen would once again be the man to strike for Sunrisers, this time in the field. Few other players could have reached Mulder's swing for the ropes off Simon Harmer at the end of the tenth over, but he stretched over the boundary with his arms at full extension, to send Mulder on his way for 38.

One ball later, Breetkze's static knock of 18 from 27 balls ended as he lost his off stump to Ottniel Baartman, and in the same over, Baartman ended any faint hopes of Durban miracle. Heinrich Klaasen has been the outstanding ball-striker of the tournament, in rushing along to 447 runs at an extraordinary strike-rate of 207.90, but this time he lasted a solitary delivery, as Baartman landed his inswinger and extracted the on-field lbw from Stephen Harris, with the ball shown to be clipping leg.

The end came in a rush. Jansen returned for his third over and plucked off Keshav Maharaj's off stump, then ended any remaining resistance with two wickets from his final three balls. Junior Dala flicked him off his pads for a token six before picking out Harmer at long-on one ball later, before another off-stump heat-seeker dealt with Reece Topley to cue the celebrations.

Durban's display arguably went awry from the very first over of the match. They deviated from the plans that had proven so effective against Joburg Super Kings in the Qualifier, handing an opening over to the left-arm spinner Smuts that was milked for nine chanceless runs - two more than Sunrisers would concede in claiming their first three wickets. It set the tone for a passive display with the ball, even after Topley had struck with his fourth delivery in the second over, a plumb lbw against Dawid Malan (6).

That brought Abell to the middle, and though he would finish with the Player-of-the-Match award, he led a charmed life for the first 14 balls of his innings. He was dropped on 6 in Topley's second over then survived a potentially innings-turning moment from his very next ball, as Maharaj scooped up a low chance at mid-off, but signalled to the umpires that he was unsure if it had carried. That doubt potentially informed the subsequent TV referral, despite the replays suggesting that his fingers had been under the ball.

Abell's innings kicked up a gear as he turned to his favoured scoop shot, with a four and a six from consecutive Mulder deliveries, and with gaps suddenly appearing in the field, he rushed through to a 30-ball fifty with seven fours and two sixes inside the 10th over, with Sunrisers' 100 coming up in the same over.

Durban hit back in style, however, with Maharaj bagging both set batters in the space of four balls. Hermann holed out to Klaasen at long-on for 42 from 27 balls, before Abell was beaten in flight on the slog-sweep to be bowled for 55 from 34. That brought Stubbs and Markram together in the 11th over, with a bit of a rebuild required at 106 for 3.

Each man picked off an early boundary but it was Stubbs who was the first to step up the tempo with back-to-back fours to end Dwayne Pretorius' second over. After that it was over to Stubbs' long levers, with three sixes in eight balls powering the total past 200. In the end, it would prove to be more than enough.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket

Read 84 times

Soccer

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMohamed Salah has said he is yet to receive a formal contract offer...

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored twice -- with one goal in each half -- a...

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRúben Amorim said Manchester United will have to "suffer for a long...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams sustained season-ending te...

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsScotty Pippen Jr. already had plenty of fond memories of watching h...

Baseball

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Chris Woodward has been named first-base coach by th...

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

EmailPrintRico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title when he hit a major-league-best...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated