Punjab Newsline, Sports:
De Kock-Bairstow century partnership; Sunrisers on top
In the fourth season of SA20, played at Centurion, Sunrisers Eastern Cape defeated Pretoria Capitals for the first time. Winning the toss, Pretoria Capitals batted first and managed to score only 176 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs. Opener Connor Esterhuizen scored 52 runs off 33 balls, while Sharfen Rutherford played a quick unbeaten 47 runs off 22 balls. Other batsmen failed to build significant partnerships.
For Sunrisers, Anrich Nortje bowled at his old home ground with great pace, taking 3 wickets. Lewis Gregory picked up 1 wicket in 4 overs while conceding only 18 runs. Adam Milne gave away 22 runs in the penultimate over but finished with figures of 2/36, including the important wicket of Andre Russell.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape chased the target comfortably thanks to an unbeaten century partnership between Quinton de Kock and Jonny Bairstow. The duo scored 177 runs in just 14.2 overs without losing a wicket. Their strong partnership ensured victory for the team and lifted Sunrisers to the top of the points table. Quinton de Kock was named Player of the Match for his explosive batting performance.
With this win, Sunrisers Eastern Cape reached 17 points and reclaimed the top spot on the points table. Under the captaincy of Tristan Stubbs, the team has consistently performed well this season. For Pretoria Capitals, the season has been challenging, although a few batsmen showed promise.
The match saw a balanced performance from Sunrisers in both batting and bowling. The fast bowlers struck key wickets while the batsmen chased the target efficiently. This encounter was thrilling for the spectators, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape asserted their dominance by defeating Pretoria Capitals for the first time in SA20 history.