The opening round of SA20 Season 4 has firmly belonged to the visiting teams, and Saturday night at Boland Park was the clearest example yet.Sunrisers Eastern Cape produced a ruthless display, skittling Paarl Royals for just 49 — the lowest total in the history of the competition — to seal a staggering 137-run bonus-point win.
The result also marked the first time the Sunrisers have won their opening match of an SA20 season.Much of the damage had already been done with the bat, led by Jordan Hermann, who comfortably won the much-anticipated sibling duel at Boland Park. Hermann smashed an unbeaten 62 off just 28 balls, striking five fours and four sixes as the two-time champions posted a commanding 186 for 4.The left-hander put the finishing touches on the innings by taking 22 runs off Delano Potgieter’s final over, capping a near-perfect batting performance. Earlier, Quinton de Kock and Jonny Bairstow had set the tone with a fluent 66-run opening stand, scoring at better than a run a ball.The momentum never dipped. Matthew Breetzke and Hermann added another 73 runs for the fourth wicket, keeping the pressure firmly on the Royals before the late assault pushed the total well beyond reach.Hermann’s innings briefly put him in contention for Player of the Match honours, but that conversation shifted quickly once Anrich Nortje had the ball in hand.Paarl’s chase unravelled almost immediately. Marco Jansen, Adam Milne and Nortje tore through the top order inside the powerplay, reducing the hosts to 30 for 4 and effectively ending the contest within the first six overs.Nortje, in particular, looked back to his menacing best on his SA20 return after missing the previous two seasons through injury, charging in with pace and hostility. He finished with four wickets, leaving the Royals with no route back into the game.Paarl Royals will need to reset quickly, with little time to dwell on the collapse before facing Sunrisers Eastern Cape again in the return fixture at St George’s Park on New Year’s Eve.In SA20 today (December 28): Durban’s Super Giants vs MI Cape Town at 7 PM IST, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.