Pretoria Capitals 172 for 3 (Brevis 75*, Parsons 60, Green 1-31) beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape 170 for 7 (Bairstow 50, Hermann 41, Parsons 3-10, Maharaj 2-24) by seven wickets
Capitals had won only one of their first five games this season, but went on to win four of their next five to finish second on the table, and are now the first team in the final. Sunrisers will now meet the winner of the Eliminator between Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings.
Parson took 3 for 10 in his three overs and then went on to score 60 off 44 balls. He combined superbly with Brevis, adding 91 for the third wicket off just 60 balls.
Bairstow fifty lifts Sunrisers
After electing to bat, openers Quinton de Kock and Jonny Bairstow got off to a steady start. De Kock struck two boundaries off Roston Chase in the second over and followed it up with a six in the fourth, again off Chase, before the offspinner hit back in the same over. Attempting a slog-sweep, de Kock was beaten and bowled for 19.
Bairstow continued to anchor the innings after de Kock’s dismissal, as Sunrisers made 84 at the end of 10 overs. Bairstow and his partner Jordan Hermann, walking in at No. 3 for the first time this season, briefly lifted the tempo by plundering 17 runs off an over from Gideon Peters. Bairstow brought up his fifty off 35 balls at the end of the 12th over, but fell the next ball, trapped in front by Keshav Maharaj.
Parsons impresses with the ball…
Though run-scoring was difficult on this pitch, Hermann and Tristan Stubbs looked to push on, when Maharaj brought on left-arm spinner Parsons on. Parsons made an impact immediately, having Hermann bowled for 41. Sunrisers then slipped further as they lost two wickets in quick succession, to Maharaj and Parsons. Parsons returned for his third over in the 19th and claimed his third wicket of the night, removing Mathew Breetzke cheaply, with the regular No. 3, unusually sent in at No. 7, never finding his footing.
However, James Coles at No. 8, provided late impetus to take Sunrisers to a competitive total on the wicket. He finished with a flourish, taking Williams apart, first lacing a short ball over extra cover, before following it up by opening the face to a half-volley and hitting a four through deep third. He then launched a full delivery straight back over the bowler’s head for another towering six, a cameo that gave Sunrisers vital late momentum and took the total to 170.
…and then with the bat
Though Gregory got the early breakthrough for Capitals with Shai Hope’s wicket, Parsons made sure he wasn’t too cautious, finding boundaries in the company of Connor Esterhuizen and ending the powerplay at 46 for 1.
The promising stand was eventually broken by offspinner Green, whose well-disguised carrom ball clipped Esterhuizen’s leg-stump bail. Brevis then joined Parsons, and the pair set the platform for what became a game-changing passage of play.
It’s Brevis o’clock in Durban
Brevis took Nortje for a four and a six, leaving Capitals to get 94 off the last 10 overs. He then dismantled Senuran Muthusamy, who had until then checked Capitals’ progress with clever changes of pace, building on his form from the previous game against Super Kings.
Parsons complemented Brevis well, keeping the scoreboard ticking without taking risks. With 45 runs required off 27 balls, he hit a six and a four off Green to turn the match decisively in Capitals’ favour.
At the other end though, Brevis was on song, scoring all around the ground, repeatedly going straight and down the ground and also using quick footwork to target the leg side.
With Nortje dismissing Parsons in the 18th over, Capitals needed 18 off the last two overs. But they did not have to worry much as Brevis hit three sixes off Gregory in the 19th to seal the win.
Sruthi Ravindranath is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo