DSG on to Qualifier 2 after Sunrisers loss

After a strong bowling display the Super Giants would have fancied their chances, however early wickets and disciplined bowling from the Sunrisers saw the Durban outfit fall short.

It was a solid start from the Sunrisers openers who got to 45 before they lost their first wicket.

Captain Keshav Maharaj accounted for Jordan Herman for 21, caught by Quinton de Kock in the seventh over.

With the total on 61/1 in the ninth over, an uncharacteristic summer shower saw play stopped for just under two hours.

Fortunately for the players no overs were lost, and play could resume.

At the resumption of play the Super Giants struck when Maharaj got his second trapping Tom Abell in front on the reverse sweep for two.

At the end of ten overs the Sunrisers were 73 for two with Dawid Malan and Aiden Markram at the crease.

Malan went to a 50 and pushed past that mark to 63 before he was caught in the deep by Naveen-ul-Haq off the bowling of Dwaine Pretorius.

At the 15 over mark the Sunrisers were 118 for three.

A few tight overs from the Super Giants bowlers resulted in Ul-Haq picking up the big wicket of Markram. He was caught by Breetzke in the deep for 30 in the seventeenth over.

It was then Junior Dala’s turn to get in on the act. He had Tristan Stubbs caught at deep midwicket by Breetzke again for 14.

Dala got a second in the same over when Marco Jansen powered one to Wiaan Mulder at mid-on for two.

It took a sharp throw from Heinrich Klaasen to the keepers end from long on to see Patrick Kruger run out off the final ball to penultimate over.

In an almost carbon-copy of the run-out, Simon Harmer was run out the very next ball when some brilliant work from Mulder chasing the ball to the fence resulted in him running Harmer out at the wicket keepers end.

Another good Dala over saw the Sunrisers finish on 157 for eight from their 20 over.

It was not a good start with the bat for the Super Giants who lost Tony de Zorzi early to a good Jansen delivery.

With the total on 13 the Super Giants lost their second when Breetzke skied a Ottniel Baartman delivery which was caught by the wicket keeper.

Aiden Markram then took a stunning catch at mid-on in the same over to dismiss Jon-Jon Smuts for a duck and the Super Giants were 13 for three after four overs.

The Super Giants finished the powerplay on 18 for three.

At the halfway stage De Kock and Mulder were attempting to rebuild the Super Giants innings and advanced them to 47 for three.

In the eleventh over De Kock hit one firmly back to Liam Dawson to fall for 20 which left the Super Giants 57 for four.

Mulder had put together a measured 38 off 34 balls but the next delivery he holed out to deep midwicket to see the Super Giants falter again at 81 for five in the fourteenth over.

Baartman got his third wicket when Klaasen edged one behind to Stubbs in the seventeenth over. At the loss of their sixth wicket the Super Giants were on 99, still needing 59 from 20 balls.

 It was Marco Jansen then who picked up two wickets in the eighteenth over with Keshav Maharaj falling for one and then Pretorius was dismissed two balls later for seven.

The game was lost for the Super Giants when Ul-Haq was caught at point before Dala was the last wicket to fall in the final over seeing Durban’s Super Giants fall to 106 all out.

Durban’s Super Giants will now head to the Wanderers to play the winner of the Eliminator, which sees the Joburg Super Kings play the Paarl Royals, on 8 February.

SUMMARY OF SCORE:
Sunrisers Eastern Cape 157/8 (D Malan 63 K Maharaj 2/30 J Dala 2/35)
Durban’s Super Giants 106 all out (W Mulder 38 O Baartman 4/10 M Jansen 4/17)
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 51 runs