SA20 league: Joburg Super Kings get back to winning ways; Beat Sunrisers by 5 wickets in a thriller
It was yet another exhilarating thriller in the Betway SA20 league as match 17 between Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape saw an exciting finish. It was the Super Kings who held their nerves to get over the line in a close encounter by 5 wickets.
The victory was set up by the Super Kings Bowling unit that restricted the Sunrisers to a below par score of 128. It was left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso who went through the Sunrisers middle order and finished with match winning figures of 4/20.
It was an incredible comeback by Phangiso who was suspected of illegal bowling action last week but was later cleared to bowl. Phangiso was outstanding right away as he dismissed the Sunrisers’ threatening middle-order of Tristan Stubbs (4), JJ Smuts (22) and Marco Jansen (6), before taking out the Sunrisers’ highest scorer of the match, Adam Rossington (40).
This made the Sunrisers reeling at 62/6 at one stage. It opened the gates for fast bowler Gerald Coetzee who wrapped the Sunrisers quickly. Lower order batsman James Fuller, however, scored a handy 27 runs from 20 balls which got the team to a respectable total. Coetzee was amazing in his spell of 4/24.
du Plooy holds his nerves to guide Super Kings home
Chasing 128, the Super Kings were off to a strong start. Captain Faf du Plessis scored a decent 37 runs from 38 balls. However, the match went down till the wire due to some good bowling from the Sunrisers. With 8 runs needed in the last over, Sisanda Magala was handed the task.
Magala bowled well and conceded just three runs from the first four deliveries which increased pressure on the Super Kings. But thankfully for the Super Kings, Leus du Plooy was present at the crease who squeezed the fifth delivery for a boundary that levelled the scores.
Rubbing salt to the wound, Magala bowled a no ball which took the Super Kings home with one ball remaining. Leus du Plooy finished on a 40-ball 47 runs with six fours as he guided Super Kings to a 5 wicket victory.
Aaron Phangiso was awarded the man of the match for his sensational bowling with figures of 4/20 which set up the match beautifully for the Super Kings. With this, the Super Kings are back to winning ways and further ended Sunrisers winning streak.
