The Sunrisers, who remain the only team to have won the SA20, moved up to second on the log with the win. As it stands, they trail the current leaders, the Paarl Royals, by a single point.

The captain, Aiden Markram, won the toss for the Sunrisers and elected to bat first, which proved to be the correct decision yet again.

The Sunrisers managed to post 165/4 in their allotted 20 overs, with Markram top-scoring with 43 off 29 balls.

David Bedingham. Photo: Cricinfo

Fellow Proteas players David Bedingham and Tristan Stubbs each played a valuable role with the bat as well, scoring 37 and 35 respectively, while Tom Abell added 23.

The former Northern Cape Heat all-rounder, Evan Jones, was the pick of the JSK bowlers with 2/38 in his four overs, while Lutho Sipamla took 1/29.

In reply, the South African-born New Zealand international Devon Conway scored 43 off 40 in the run chase, while the former Proteas captain, Faf du Plessis, scored 27. The former Knights batter, Leus du Plooy, in turn, scored 19, while the North West Dragons captain, Wihan Lubbe, contributed 17 not out.

Ultimately, JSK fell short by 15 runs, recording their third straight defeat in the competition.

The North West Dragons and Proteas seamer, Marco Jansen, was once again the pick of the Sunrisers bowlers with 2/19 in his four overs, while Richard Gleeson and Ottniel Baartman each claimed two scalps as well.

Following the match, Stubbs said that while he hasn’t been happy with his contribution with the bat, the important thing is that the team has been able to get the results they want.

“It hasn’t been great. I haven’t been getting the runs I wanted, but the team’s winning, so it’s a lot better when the team’s winning,” said Stubbs.

“So hopefully we’ve got some good momentum as a team, and hopefully we can just carry on with that.

Devon Conway. Photo: Cricinfo

“It’s what we’ve got to do. We've got a game on Sunday, so we must get ready for that, get ourselves ready as best we can. In the first three games, the momentum wasn’t with us, and now we’ve got it, so hopefully we can just carry on, ride the high while it's going, and then go from there.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday, there will be a double-header of games again. At 13:00, the log-leading Paarl Royals will be in action against the Pretoria Capitals at Boland Park. At 17:30, it’s over to Newlands, where MI Cape Town will face the bottom-of-the-log Durban Super Giants.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg