With the tournament entering a crucial week, the teams who qualified for the playoffs slowly started popping up. And it was no surprise that the dominating Sunrisers Eastern Cape became the first team to book their spot following a resounding win over Joburg Super Kings. The very next day, Paarl Royals joined them following a dominating performance against Pretoria Capitals. The Capitals overcame that defeat though to join the Royals in the final four later on during the week, and that has left just one spot open remaining with three teams vying for it. At the moment, Durban’s Super Giants occupy that slot after Aiden Markram slammed a ton to give his side finally a home win this season. But their fate is no longer in their hands.
The questions around the World Cup
A hot topic indeed this week!! The South African selectors came under the scanner for finalising their T20 World Cup squad quite early especially with the players who were left out leaving a big impression in the tournament. The leading run-getter Ryan Rickelton was omitted and the leading wicket-taker Ottneil Baartman wasn’t considered as well. With Baartman also picking up a five-fer this week that included a hat-trick, the questions grew louder.
Sherfane Rutherford scored 74* off 50 to help the Pretoria Capitals recover from 7/5 before they ultimately won ©Cricbuzz
A last-ball six from Sikandar Raza to clinch a thrilling chase for the Paarl Royals against Durban’s Super Giants, for sure, grabbed a lot of eyeballs but the contest between Pretoria Capitals and Joburg Super Kings was undoubtedly the best. The Capitals had no business winning that clash after they lost half their side for just 7 runs. At the end of the PowerPlay, they were 10/5. Most sides would have given up right there. With a playoff spot there for the taking, JSK were without a doubt expected to get the job done. But Sherfane Rutherford and Dewald Brevis got together again and stitched a vital partnership to drag their side to 143 for 6. From there on, the bowlers took charge. Already depleted in the absence of Faf du Plessis, JSK wilted under pressure as the Capitals scripted one of the most extraordinary comebacks ever witnessed in T20 cricket.
Speaking of JSK, this was a week to forget for the men in yellow. It began with the news of skipper Faf du Plessis getting ruled out of the tournament following a thumb injury. This was a major blow for a batting unit that already didn’t have the services of Rilee Rossouw. If that wasn’t enough, they got thumped by SEC before squandering a playoff opportunity as mentioned above against Pretoria Capitals. Is the misery over? Not quite yet. That loss against the Capitals also saw them lose their stand-in captain Donovan Ferreira to an injury. A crucial week is incoming now for both JSK and South Africa as they fret over Ferreira’s injury update.