Pretoria Capitals stun JSK despite being at 7/5 at one stage as Injury to Donovan Ferreira will leave JSK and South Africa nervous.
After rebounding from 7 for 5 in the SA20, the Pretoria Capitals pulled off an incredible comeback to defeat the Johannesburg Super Kings by 21 runs. The Capitals reached a competitive 143 for 6 thanks to a 103-run sixth-wicket partnership between Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford. However, in the second innings, their bowlers, headed by Keshav Maharaj and Lizaad Williams, put pressure.
Donovan Ferreira, the captain of JSK and possibly South Africa, will be worried about his injury after only one delivery. After trying a pull, Ferreira stepped back clutching his left shoulder, which had been wounded by the final ball of the first innings.
The most recent setback could hurt JSK’s prospects of making the playoffs, as they have already lost important players like Rilee Rossouw and usual captain Faf du Plessis to injuries.
The Super Giants of Durban moved up to fourth place in the standings earlier in the day, but if JSK, who are presently in fifth place, wins their last league game on Sunday against the Paarl Royals, they will not be able to make the playoffs. In order to get a bonus point, MI Cape Town have to win their final game and hope JSK loses.
The Capitals had a night of extremes after JSK’s devastating new-ball spell. JSK’s bowlers kept things straightforward under cloudy skies and a light drizzle, extracting extra bounce and sharp seam to trigger a spectacular collapse. After Daniel Worrall scored in the first over, the pressure of dot balls quickly paid off as wickets fell one after another. The Capitals’ top order had been destroyed by the fifth over, and they were in total chaos at 10 for 5.
Brevis and Rutherford collaborated to create a resurgence following the crash. After being dropped on three, Brevis carefully constructed at first, but after the second drinks break, the two changed course. The acceleration began with a 23-run 14th over, and the two went on to score a record 103 for the sixth wicket. In addition to leading the Capitals to a competitive 143 for 6, Rutherford’s undefeated 74 made him the first Capitals batsman to achieve 300 runs in a single SA20 season. Brevis was dismissed for 53.
During the chase, it was difficult to bat on the pitch because some deliveries held and others jumped off a length with extra bounce. On Saturday, Maharaj in particular was unbeatable due to his ability to extract fast turn and put pressure on the batsmen.
Lizaad Williams contributed late strikes to finish with three wickets, and the equation ultimately came down to 60 from the final four overs and 28 off the final six. Even though Dian Forrester put up a strong fight and hit an undefeated 44, the Capitals’ sporadic careless fielding late in the pursuit was insufficient to push JSK over the finish line.