Impressive Sunrisers thump DSG to claim back-to-back SA20 titles

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape put in a clinical performance as they thrashed Durban’s Super Giants by 89 runs to claim back-to-back Betway SA20 titles in Cape Town on Saturday evening. 

The Orange Army seamers shared nine wickets to restrict the KwaZulu-Natal side to 115 with 18 balls to spare with Marco Jansen claiming a five-wicket haul. 

Jansen recorded figures of 5/30 from four overs, Ottniel Baartman and Daniel Worrall claimed 2/17 and 2/15 respectively while offspinner Simon Harmer took 1/18 to dismantle their opponents. 

The trio of seamers finished as the top three bowlers in the tournament with 20, 18 and 17 wickets respectively. 

Earlier, half-centuries by Tom Abell and Tristan Stubbs led the charge for the defending champions as they posted a commanding 204 for three from 20 overs, to the delight of the sea of Sunrisers supporters who made their way to Newlands. 

Chasing 205 victory, DSG were in early trouble, losing three wickets for with just seven on the board. 

Worrall got rid of Quinton de Kock (3), before Jansen struck twice, removing Jon-Jon Smuts (1) and Banuka Rajapaksa for a duck to leave the Durban side reeling in the fourth over. 

Wiaan Mulder and Matthew Breetzke briefly steadied the ship, sharing 56 runs for the fourth wicket, before the pair fell in consecutive overs. 

Mulder was caught on the boundary by Jansen off Harmer, before Baartman removed Breetzke (18) and then the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen for a golden duck in the same over, as they slipped to 69/6 in the 11th over, still needing 136 runs for victory. 

Jansen would again go level with Baartman for the top wicket-taker award when he castled DSG skipper Keshav Maharaj for five runs before Worrall took care of Dwaine Pretorius (28), with the writing seemingly on the wall for the Super Giants,

Jansen picked up two more wickets, those of Junior Dala (15), and Reece Topley (0) to spark wild celebrations at Newlands as they kept the trophy in the Eastern Cape for another year. 

Winning the toss and choosing to make first use of the Newlands conditions, Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell got the Sunrisers off to a fast start after the early loss of Dawid Malan, who was trapped in front by Reece Topley for four runs.

Abell sent the DSG bowlers to all corners as he and Hermann took their side to 55/1 at the end of the powerplay, before breaching 100 at the halfway mark. 

Their 90-run stand would come to an end when Maharaj struck twice in the space of three balls, first removing Hermann (42), caught on the boundary by Klaasen, before Abell was bowled for a well-played 55 off 34 balls, attempting to play a sweep off the left-arm orthodox spinner to leave the team 106/3 in the 11th over. 

Skipper Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs took their side to 150 while recording a half-century stand for the fourth wicket. 

Stubbs hit four boundaries and three sixes to record his third half-century of the competition, while Markram hit 42 as the duo shared an unbeaten 98-run fourth-wicket partnership, as the men from Gqeberha breached 200 in the final over. 

Maharaj claimed two wickets for 33 runs from his four overs while Reece Topley claimed 1/32 in three overs. 

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