Playing their first home match of Season 4, the Sunrisers were welcomed by thousands of Gqeberha supporters who transformed South Africa’s oldest Test venue into a sea of orange, with the iconic brass band setting a festive tone for another memorable SA20 evening. De Kock ensured the atmosphere was matched by performance, anchoring the innings with a fluent 77 off 47 balls, decorated with five fours and six sixes, as he dominated the Capitals’ attack from the outset.
After the early dismissal of Jonny Bairstow, De Kock found an ideal partner in Matthew Breetzke. The pair stitched together a blistering 116-run partnership off just 70 deliveries, combining precision and power to seize control of the contest. Breetzke contributed a confident 52 from 33 balls, striking seven boundaries and a six, before Jordan Hermann provided late momentum with an aggressive 37 off 20 deliveries, featuring a mix of conventional strokes and inventive sweeps. The collective effort propelled Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a formidable 188 for six.
De Kock’s impact was reflected in the Player of the Match voting, where he claimed 69.3 percent of the fan vote, finishing ahead of fellow nominees Breetzke, Shai Hope and Adam Milne.
The Capitals’ chase never truly settled under sustained pressure from the Sunrisers’ pace-heavy bowling unit. Marco Jansen struck early, dismissing opener Bryce Parsons inside the first over as De Kock completed the catch behind the stumps. Adam Milne soon followed with a decisive spell, removing Shai Hope for a brisk 36 off 19 balls and later tearing through the lower order to finish with figures of four for 25.
Lewis Gregory delivered a pivotal moment when he induced Dewald Brevis into targeting the longest boundary, only for Breetzke to complete a safe catch. From there, Pretoria’s innings unraveled rapidly. Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy produced one of the standout deliveries of the night, clean bowling a well-set Will Smeed for 35, while Milne and Anrich Nortje ensured there was no late resistance.
The Capitals were ultimately bowled out well short of the target, extending their winless start to the tournament, while Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s emphatic victory lifted them to the top of the Betway SA20 table with 10 points.
The result underlined the Sunrisers’ growing dominance at home and reinforced their credentials as early title contenders, while Pretoria Capitals face mounting pressure to regroup quickly as the competition intensifies.
About The Author
Comment List