Durban Super Giants off to positive start in SA20 after win over Capitals

A fantastic final 12 deliveries from Durban’s Super Giants saw them snatch an unlikely two-run victory over the Pretoria Capitals in their opening Betway SA20 at a packed Kingsmead on Friday.

The Kingsmead faithful turned up in their numbers and cheered their side on to the death as DSG defended 17 off the final 12 balls to claim a famous victory.

DSG won the toss and decided to bat first, and the decision paid off as they got off to a brisk start.

They powered to 41 without loss after four overs with Matthew Breetzke and debutant Bryce Parsons taking the attack to the Capitals bowlers.

They brought up their 50 partnership in the fifth over with Parsons on 19 and Breetzke on 31.

There was a brief rain delay in the sixth over with the Super Giants 61 for none before they went to the power play on 67 without loss.

Breetzke was the first wicket to fall with the total on 67 when he was well caught by Capitals captain Rillee Rossouw at extra cover for 33 off 20 balls off the bowling of Senuran Muthusamy.

Muthusamy picked up his second when he bowled the dangerous Parsons for 47 off 27 balls. The left-hander hit five fours and two sixes in his knock.

At the loss of the second wicket the Super Giants were on 85 in the ninth over.

At the halfway point of their innings DSG were 96 for two with Kane Williamson and Quinton de Kock on 11 and two respectively.

In the 11th over the Super Giants went past 100 off 67 balls.

It was Muthusamy again who struck when the Williamson and De Kock partnership started to threaten. De Kock was caught at short fine-leg for 15 off 14 balls as the partnership was ended on 32.

A run later when the Super Giants were on 118 Heinrich Klaasen was caught behind by Kyle Verreynne off the bowling of Liam Livingstone for a duck.

Off the last ball of the 15th over Williamson received a lifeline on 24 when he was dropped by Gurbaz at deep point.

At the strategic timeout, which came at the end of a productive sixteenth over for the Super Giants, the home side were 148 for four with Wiaan Mulder on 24 and Williamson anchoring the innings on 26.

The 150 came in the 17th over for the hosts off 101 balls with four wickets down.

Williamson and Mulder brought up their 50 partnership off just 22 balls with Mulder contributing 37 and Williamson adding 14.

At the end of the penultimate over debutant Williamson went to his first half century off 36 balls with two fours and two sixes.

The 200 came up for the Super Giants in the final over with four balls to spare as the Williamson/Mulder stand went into the eighties.

The second ten overs for the Super Giants yielded 113 runs with the loss of two wickets as DSG finished on 209/4.

Williamson finished 60 not out off 40 balls and Mulder’s 45 not out came off just 19 balls as the pair added 91 off 41 balls to finish the innings.

In reply, Capitals openers Will Jacks and Rahmanullah Gurbaz raced to 50 off just four overs with Jacks contributing 32 and Gurbaz 17.

Naveen Ul Haq dropped a tough chance off Gurbaz when he was on 31 in the fifth over of the Capitals chase.

After five overs the Capitals were 72 without loss compared to the Super Giants who were 60 without loss at the same stage.

At the end of the power play the visitors were in a strong position on 81 without loss. 14 runs ahead of the Super Giants at the same stage.

Gurbaz brought up his half century in 22 balls with two fours and five sixes as the Capitals continued to put the DSG bowlers to the sword.

The hundred came up for the Capitals with all 10 wickets still intact. It came off the final ball of the eighth over. The partnership got to 100 off just 52 balls with Gurbaz 56 not out and Jacks' 46 not out.

At the hallway stage the visitors had crushed their way to 128 without loss, 38 runs ahead of the Super Giants at the ten over mark.

Jacks went to his 50 off 28 balls in the 11th over of the chase.

After just 78 deliveries in their innings the Capitals brought up their 150 without losing a wicket.

Noor Ahmed picked up the first wicket for the Super Giants when he had Gurbaz caught at long-on by Heinrich Klaasen for 89 off 43 balls.

At the second strategic timeout of the Capitals innings the Capitals were 168 for one, needing 42 runs to win off 42 balls.

A second wicket fell for the Capitals when Rillee Rossouw chopped on a Chris Woakes delivery for one.

The left-arm spin of Ahmed picked up a second wicket when he bowled Will Jacks for 64 from 35 balls.

At the loss of their third wicket the Capitals were on 173 and required a further 37 runs to win off 32 balls.

Woakes made things interesting when he picked up this second wicket with the scalp of Senuran Muthusamy. Muthusamy was bowled by Woakes for eight.

A fifth wicket fell with 17 runs to win as Ul Haq picked up his first wicket with Jimmy Neesham caught at long on for three.

Captain Maharaj took the ball in the penultimate over and he picked up the crucial wicket of Liam Livingstone for 13. The Capitals required 15 to win off the final eight balls with four wickets in hand.

Maharaj’s 19th over went for three leaving 14 to win off the final six deliveries.

The final over from Ul Haq went for 11, but with four to win off the final ball the Capitals could only manage a single to give the Super Giants an epic two-run win.

The Super Giants will face the Pretoria Capitals again on Sunday at Centurion.

SUMMARY OF SCORE

Durban’s Super Giants 209/4 (K Williamson 60* B Parsons 47 W Mulder 45* S Muthusamy 3/21) Pretoria Capitals 207/6 (M Gurbaz 89 W Jacks 64) DSG won by two runs