Sunrisers Eastern Cape Eliminate Joburg Super Kings to Keep Title Hopes Alive
Sunrisers Eastern Cape continued their pursuit of an unprecedented hat-trick of SA20 titles by defeating the Joburg Super Kings by 32 runs in an eliminator.
Centurion: Sunrisers Eastern Cape continued their pursuit of an unprecedented hat-trick of SA20 titles by defeating the Joburg Super Kings by 32 runs in an eliminator. This win secured their place in Qualifier 2 on Thursday, where they will face the Paarl Royals for a spot in the final.
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Aiden Markram’s Heroics Lead Sunrisers to Victory
Captain Aiden Markram’s brilliant 62 not out off 40 balls played a key role in the Sunrisers posting a challenging total of 184/6. The Joburg Super Kings’ run-chase struggled throughout the innings, as they were unable to build meaningful partnerships, ultimately finishing with 152/7 in their 20 overs.
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Key Moments That Shaped the Match
The match was practically decided in two key overs. The Sunrisers were at 149/5 with 12 balls remaining when Markram and Marco Jansen combined to score 29 runs off Lutho Sipamla’s penultimate over. Sipamla conceded three sixes, two boundaries, and a no-ball, finishing with costly figures of 0/72—the second-most expensive in SA20 history.
For the Super Kings, things were looking promising at 91/3 after 12 overs, needing 94 from 48 balls, with Jonny Bairstow and Wihan Lubbe at the crease. However, Sunrisers’ captain Markram took a bold decision to bowl out seamer Craig Overton, which paid off handsomely. Overton bowled a double-wicket maiden, dismissing Lubbe and Moeen Ali, leaving the Super Kings in trouble at 91/5. They could not recover and were eliminated from the playoffs.
Markram Praises the Team’s Effort
Speaking after the win, Markram credited his team’s efforts, stating, “Lot of credit to the boys. We haven’t put a complete game of cricket throughout, and tonight was the closest we got.” He also praised the bowlers for their brilliant performance under the lights. “It was a tricky one to pace our innings, but we hit a phase where (Tristan) Stubbs and I got into the groove, and then Marco chipped in with a valuable knock,” Markram added.
With this victory, Sunrisers Eastern Cape now move on to face Paarl Royals for a chance to reach the final and keep their title hopes alive.
