Sunrisers Eastern Cape 177 for 0 (Bairstow 85*, de Kock 79*) beat Pretoria Capitals 176 for 7 (Esterhuizen 52, Nortje 3-32) by 10 wickets
PC have won just one of their five matches so far and sit fifth, outside of the playoff spots, for now.
Esterhuizen impresses after slow start
After two seasons as a fringe player for MICT, Esthuizen made the move closer to home on the Highveld for this edition of the SA20 but things didn’t start as well as he would have liked. His first three innings brought scores of 2, 9 and 0 and he was going slowly on 6 off the first eight balls he faced in this match. But then, in the last over of the powerplay, Lutho Sipamla veered onto Esterhuizen’s pads and he picked it up and sent it over short fine for six. The next ball was pitched up on middle stump and got similar treatment, but squarer. Esterhuizen went on to take on Anrich’s Nortje’s short and full ball and then struck a hat-trick of fours off Marco Jansen, all through the covers, to sit on the cusp of half-century. He got there off 28 balls for his first fifty for PC.
QdK: the king of catchers
De Kock has already taken one of the catches of the tournament, when he flung himself leg-side to dismiss Lhuan-dre Pretorius for 11 on New Year’s Eve, and he went one better in Centurion. Andre Russell strode to the crease with PC on126 for 5 in the 16th over, with a need to put foot. He flat-batted the first ball he faced for four to signal his intent. In the next over, Russell was foxed by an Adam Milne slower ball and swung hard but edged. De Kock flew to the right to take a one-handed screamer that will make highlights reels for seasons to come. Russell might have got his own back when de Kock hit Tymal Mills high, but not long, over the covers and three fielders converged on the chance. It fell closest to Russell but he could not hold on.
SEC’s stunning opening stand
The first three balls went for four – leg-byes, runs and then byes – as Mills struggled for control and then it was all bat. De Kock drove Ngidi through the covers, Bairstow sent Kyle Mills down the ground and then de Kock plundered two sixes off an Ngidi over that cost 14 to leave PC wondering how they would separate the pair. They took another 15 runs off Russell’s opening over to finish the powerplay on 66 without loss and needed just 111 off the next 14 overs to win. PC were unable to create any pressure as de Kock and Bairstow breezed their way to a position of complete dominance.
Bairstow takes down Maharaj
The most expensive over in SA20 history was scored by Bairstow off PC captain Keshav Maharaj, who had nowhere to hide. His first ball was hit onto the roof as Bairstow brought up fifty off 35 balls. The second was slog-swept over mid-wicket. The third went the same way and the fourth, in the same direction but along the ground. Maharaj tried to disguise his fifth ball but Bairstow pounced and hit it over his head for six and then finished off with six more, straight down the ground. SEC went from needing 61 runs off nine overs to 27 from eight and a bonus point win was there for the taking. Bairstow finished unbeaten on 85* and de Kock on 79*.
