The Nelson Mandela Bay Giants crashed out of the Mzansi Super League after losing their final round-robin game by six wickets to Paarl Rocks at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday.
The defeat handed the Rocks the final playoff spot and they will face the Jozi Stars in the eliminator match at the Wanderers on Friday night to determine who will face the Cape Town Blitz in Sunday’s final at Newlands.
The Giants were comprehensively outplayed by the Rocks on Wednesday.
Chasing 130 to win and targeting a victory inside 16 overs to secure a bonus point, the Rocks started conservatively.
Henry Davids and Cameron Delport opened the batting and put on 21 before the former holed out to wide mid-off to grant Chris Morris the breakthrough wicket.
Earlier, the Giants stuttered to 129 for 8 in their 22 overs.
Only Jason Roy (22 off 16 balls) and Chris Morris (27* off 10 balls) managed impressive strike rates.
Rudi Second top-scored with 37 off 41 balls but he could not provide the acceleration required at the death.
The Rocks bowled well, led by Dwayne Bravo (3/22) and Tabraiz Shamsi, who went for just 15 from his four and bagged the wicket of Ben Duckett.
The Paarl franchise threatened to lose their way in the chase as Faf du Plessis was caught at deep extra cover off Aaron Phangiso’s bowling after struggling to six from 12 balls.
At that point, 41 for 2 could so easily have been 41 for 3 as Phangiso dropped the ball after Du Plessis’s departure.
Phangiso and skipper JonJon Smuts put the strangle on the Rocks batsmen with their contrasting styles of bowling. Phangiso bowled slower looking for turn, while Smuts fired the bulk of his deliveries in flat.
Delport changed the flow of the match in the 11th over as he took on Smuts, taking a few risks in hitting two sixes and a four via a dropped chance on the fence.
The over went for 20 and boosted the Rocks to 72 for 2 and a position of relative comfort.
Dyllan Matthews started his spell with a big no-ball before twice being switch-hit by Delport to bring up the allrounder’s 50.
Delport continued to attack with Aiden Markram playing a support role, and though his innings was far from chanceless he put the Rocks in position to claim the bonus point win they needed to seal third position and the final Mzansi Super League playoff spot.
Sisanda Magala (2/15) eventually got the better of Delport, bowling him with a cutter but his 84 had done enough to win the game for the Rocks.
Magala added the wicket of Bravo, who was looking to end matters.
The Rocks needed nine runs off the 16th over to secure a bonus point victory.
David Wiese came in and smashed a six off the first ball of the over to take all the pressure off the Rocks.
After a wide from Phangiso, Wiese won it with a top-edged slog that fell safe and allowed the Rocks to win with 28 balls to spare.