Sunrisers Eastern Cape became the first team to secure their place in the SA20 Season 4 playoffs with a resounding 63-run bonus-point victory over Joburg Super Kings at St George’s Park on Wednesday evening.Sunrisers reclaimed top position with 24 points, while JSK remain in fourth place on 17 points. The result also ensured that Durban’s Super Giants remain in contention for a playoff spot ahead of their final game against Paarl Royals at Kingsmead on Saturday.
Sunrisers debutant James Coles led the way with the bat with an unbeaten 61 off 34 balls, including 10 fours, before the 21-year-old took over with the ball, returning figures of 2/34 from his four overs to cap a dream first outing in front of The Orange Army.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The home side had Joburg Super Kings, without their regular captain Faf du Plessis due to injury for the first time, in a spin throughout, with fellow left-armer Senuran Muthusamy delivering an equally classy spell of 3/26.The Sunrisers spin duo were responsible for all of the first six Super Kings wickets to fall, barring a superb run-out that Coles was also involved in.Super Kings were set a challenging 179 for victory, the identical total Durban’s Super Giants overhauled just a few days ago at St George’s Park, but apart from a brisk 31-run opening stand in 3.3 overs between James Vince, who made 30 off 23 balls, and Rivaldo Moonsamy, the visitors were never able to keep up with the required run-rate.With Coles and Muthusamy tightening the noose and wickets falling regularly, the run-rate escalated beyond 10 runs per over, which proved too much for the inexperienced JSK middle order, despite pacers Adam Milne taking 1/10, Anrich Nortje 1/13 and Marco Jansen 2/33 maintaining the pressure.Sunrisers, who had been inserted by JSK, were again indebted to the in-form Quinton de Kock, who powered his way to 54 off just 37 deliveries, including five fours and two sixes. It was De Kock’s third half-century of the campaign as he and Jonny Bairstow raced out of the blocks with a 48-run opening stand in 4.4 overs.
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There were a couple of blips thereafter, with Sunrisers losing wickets in clusters to slip to 90/4 heading into the second half of the innings, but captain Tristan Stubbs and Coles steadied the ship before exploding at the death with a match-winning 88-run partnership off 55 balls.Brief Scores Sunrisers Eastern Cape: 178 for 5 in 20 overs (James Coles 61, Quintin de Kock 54; Donovan Ferreira 2/25) Joburg Super Kings: 117 all out in 18.1 overs (James Vince 30; Senuran Muthusamy 3/26, Marco Jansen 2/33, James Coles 2/34)
