Cricket
Paarl Royals move to the top of the table─── MORGAN PIEK 08:29 Tue, 21 Jan 2025
The Paarl Royals moved to the top of the table in the SA20 following a six-wicket win against the Joburg Super Kings in Paarl.
The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) were invited to bat first at Boland Park after the Royals won the toss.
The visitors were restricted to 146/6 in their allotted 20 overs, with England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow scoring 60 off 40 balls. Proteas player Donovan Ferreira contributed an unbeaten 32 off 19 deliveries, while JSK captain Faf du Plessis added 18 runs.
Jonny Bairstow. Photo: Cricinfo
Proteas spinner Bjorn Fortuin was the standout bowler for the Royals, claiming 2/22 in his four overs. Former England captain and the world’s leading Test batter, Joe Root, also had a tidy spell with the ball by taking 1/16.
In reply, Mitchell van Buuren scored 44, and captain David Miller remained unbeaten on 40 as the Royals chased down the target with five balls to spare. The tournament’s leading run-scorer, 18-year-old Lhuan-dré Pretorius, added a quickfire 27 off 14 balls, including four fours and a six.
Hardus Pretorius was the pick of the bowlers for JSK, taking 2/23 in his four overs.
Fortuin warned that while they are enjoying a purple patch in the competition, it’s way too early to start counting their chickens before the eggs have hatched. “We won’t count our chickens too early. In the past two seasons, we’ve had good starts but sort of fell away towards the backend,” said Fortuin.
“We’ll take it game by game, and there are still areas where we can improve with both bat and ball. So yeah, just game by game, trying to get as many wins as we can before playoff time.”
Fortuin credited their success so far to consistency and sticking to the basics.
Joe Root. Photo: Cricinfo
“I think of just doing the simple things well. In the past, we’ve had quite explosive players, and sometimes they came off, and sometimes they didn’t,” he added.
“This year, there’s been a lot more consistency in executing our plans and sticking to them. Playing well at home has also been a big factor.”
The Royals will be back in action on Thursday when they face the Durban Super Giants at Kingsmead. On Tuesday at 17:30, the DSG will take on MI Cape Town in Durban.
