Durban Super Giants managed to endure an aggressive start from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Will Jacks, securing a slim two-run victory against the Pretoria Capitals in a thrilling high-scoring match at Kingsmead, Durban. Kane Williamson was the standout performer for the Super Giants, scoring 60 runs off 40 balls. Additionally, impactful contributions from opener Bryce Parsons, who scored 47 runs off 28 balls, and finisher Wiaan Mulder, who remained unbeaten with 45 runs off 19 balls, positioned the team favorably at the midway point. Despite the Capitals’ valiant efforts led by their explosive openers, they ultimately fell just short of victory.
Kane Williamson's fast paced innings help DSG setup a target of 209 runs
The Super Giants’ opening pair, Parsons and Matthew Breetzke, made an explosive start, accumulating 67 runs during the PowerPlay. Senuran Muthusamy, who delivered an outstanding performance with figures of 3-21 in a match with a target of 200 runs, broke the opening partnership in the seventh over by dismissing Breetzke. He followed this by removing Parsons in the ninth over, concluding the latter’s rapid innings. At the halfway mark, the Super Giants stood at 96/2, but they quickly lost Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen within four deliveries, leaving them at 118/4 by the 14th over.
Mulder then partnered with Williamson to forge a remarkable 91-run partnership off just 39 balls, propelling the team beyond the 200-run threshold. This partnership featured a remarkable 21-run over against Liam Livingstone, where Mulder struck three sixes, and a 22-run over against Eathan Bosch, who was also targeted by both Mulder and Williamson. They accumulated 82 runs in the final five overs, setting their team on a path to victory.
Durban Super Giants setup a target of 209 runs at a lose of 4 wickets where Kane Williamson emerged as the leading run scorer, scoring 60 runs, supported by Bryce Parsons and Wiaan Mulder who scored 47 and 45 runs respectively.
Durban Super Giants gather victory in a cut throat competition during 2nd innings
On the other side of the innings break, Jacks and Gurbaz approached their innings with a different strategy. They unleashed a flurry of sixes, amassing 81 runs during the PowerPlay. The sixth over, bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq, was the only one in that phase where no boundaries were scored. Nevertheless, they enjoyed a vigorous start, scoring 19 runs off Mulder’s over in the fourth and 22 runs off Chris Woakes’s over in the fifth. Their momentum continued unabated even after the fielding restrictions were lifted, with Gurbaz reaching a rapid 50 off just 22 balls in the seventh over, and the 100-run partnership was achieved in the subsequent over bowled by Noor. By the end of the 12th over, the Capitals had amassed 154 runs without losing a wicket, racing towards their substantial target with the required run rate reduced to just seven runs per over. Then, a pivotal moment occurred.
Noor deceived his Afghan teammate Gurbaz with a googly, resulting in a catch to Klaasen at long on, leading Gurbaz to return to the pavilion after scoring 89 runs off 43 balls, which included three fours and seven sixes. The momentum shifted dramatically as the Super Giants claimed a wicket in each of the subsequent three overs—Woakes dismissed Rilee Rossouw, who edged a slower delivery onto his stumps, Noor took out Jacks for 64 runs off just 35 balls, and Woakes then removed Muthusamy. Consequently, the Capitals found themselves at 183/4 after 15.5 overs. Naveen then delivered an exceptional 18th over, conceding only two runs, which left the Capitals needing 17 runs from 12 balls, still a feasible target.
Maharaj intensified the pressure on Liam Livingstone and Kyle Verreynne by allowing only three singles in the first three deliveries, which led to a risky shot that resulted in Verreynne’s dismissal. Maharaj then bowled two dot balls to Steve Stolk, concluding a three-run penultimate over and leaving Naveen with 14 runs to defend.
The requirement of 14 runs off 6 balls was reduced to 9 runs off 3 when Verreynne struck a short ball for four, keeping the chase alive. Naveen countered with a precisely executed yorker that yielded only a single, leaving Stolk needing 4 runs from the final ball. Stolk attempted to hit the length delivery but missed, managing only a leg bye, which secured a memorable victory for the Super Giants.
SCORECARD: Durban Supergiants209/4 in 20 overs (Kane Williamson 60*, Bryce Parsons 47, Wiaan Mulder 45*; Senuran Muthusamy 3-21) beat Pretoria Capitals 207/6 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 89, Will Jacks 64; Noor Ahmad 2-34) by 2 runs
