Sunrisers Eastern Cape too good for Paarl Royals

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape comfortably defeated Paarl Royals by 48 runs in their SA20 clash at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Saturday.

SEC won the toss and went in to bat first, getting off to a rocky start after losing openers Tony de Zorzi and David Bedigham cheaply.

Eastern Cape powerhouse batter Jordan Hermann arrived at the crease and held his end for SEC, putting up 53 from 38 deliveries, with a strike rate of 139.

SEC captain Aiden Markram and Tom Abell lost their wickets easily, piling on the pressure for the middle- and lower-order.

Tristan Stubbs arrived at the crease at a time when the SEC run-rate was dipping between six and seven runs per over after the first Powerplay and was not picking up.

With runs going dry, Stubbs and Hermann decided to make a play and strung some big shots together to up the scoring rate.

Stubbs carded 43 off 27 balls before he was dismissed by a Mitchell Owen ball.

Sunrisers finished on 148/8 off their 20 overs.

Eshan Malinga was the pick of Paarl’s bowling attack, with 2/21 from his four overs.

Paarl Royals went in to bat without their usual opening pair of Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Joe Root, and did not start in typical fashion, with both losing their wickets cheaply early on.

SEC bowlers Marco Jansen and Craig Overton had their way with the Paarl batters, both picking up three wickets each.

Third at the crease for Paarl, Rubin Hermann, tried his best to hold down one side, but was not supported.

Mitchell van Buuren, Dewan Marais and Dunith Wellalage all fell easily at the hands of Overton and Jansen.

Protea pace bowler Andile Phehlukwayo was the only batter to support Hermann at the stumps, almost getting a 50-run partnership.

But SEC skipper Markram bowled a match-winning over, claiming two important wickets and breaking up a much-needed Paarl partnership in the mix.

Markram took two wickets in the 13th over and seemed to have put the nail in Paarl’s coffin.

The visitors, with the loss of seven wickets, did not manage to recover.

Paarl were eventually rounded up for 100 runs from 18.2 overs and did not manage to get another point, so they remained on 28, behind SA20 log leaders MI Cape Town (30).