Lubbe stars as Royals edge Super Kings to stretch lead on SA20 table

Wihan Lubbe rattled up a half-century as the Paarl Royals stretched their lead at the top of the SA20 table after beating the Joburg Super Kings by five wickets at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Wednesday. 

Chasing 169 to win, Lubbe anchored the innings with 57 in 48 balls as the Royals got over the line with five balls to spare. 

Dane Vilas was even more effective, clubbing an unbeaten 42 off only 26 to help his side to a four-point lead at the summit of the log with 22 points from six games.

Durban’s Super Giants are second on 18 and the Sunrisers Eastern Cape third with 15 from five matches. 

Fabian Allen played a late cameo, scoring a quick 17 including two sixes, one of which won the game. 

The Super Kings will not have been happy with their effort in the field and the loss saw them remain fifth on the table with only six points. 

Earlier, Faf du Plessis and Reeza Hendricks opened the innings for the Super Kings with both players short of runs in the competition. 

Hendricks had previously scored 50 in four visits to the crease while 39-year-old Du Plessis had fared even worse with only 32 over the same number of innings. 

Both would have been determined to get among the runs, but it was only Hendricks who got the job done in the home team’s innings of 168 for three. 

Du Plessis scrambled his way to 17 off 19 until he was bowled by a beauty from Lundi Ngidi. 

Next man in, Leus du Plooy, continued his good form, striking a quick-fire 30 in only 16 balls while Moeen Ali caned an unbeaten 23 from 12 at the death. 

But it was Hendricks who shone for the Super Kings, the Proteas opener starting off circumspectly before finishing with an unbeaten 79 in 56 deliveries with seven fours and three sixes. 

His 62-run stand with Ali at the death off only 4.2 overs gave the innings some impetus. 

Though he went wicketless, Bjorn Fortuin was once again superb upfront, conceding only 14 runs in his four overs. 

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