Pretoria [South Africa], January 6 : SA20 Season 4 is the year of records with Sunrisers Eastern Cape storming to a first-ever victory over the Pretoria Capitals at Centurion, as per a release.
Sunrisers completed their highest successful run-chase in SA20 history by cruising past Capitals' 176/7 with all 10 wickets to spare. It propelled Tristan Stubbs' side back to the top of the table with 17 points.
Openers Quinton de Kock (79 not out, 41 balls, 5x4, 6x6) and Jonny Bairstow (85 not out, 44 balls, 8x4, 6x6) were in a rampant mood as the experienced duo dispatched the Capitals' bowlers to all parts of Centurion.
De Kock lit the touchpaper with the left-hander dominating the Powerplay, striking the ball sweetly over the cover region for a couple of sixes off Lungi Ngidi. He later dished out similar treatment to Lizaad Williams as the Sunrisers took control.
Bairstow was initially content to watch De Kock take on the Capitals' bowlers, but he soon switched gears when Capitals spinner Keshav Maharaj brought himself on in search of the breakthrough.
The former England World Cup winner treated Maharaj with disdain as he blasted five sixes and a boundary in the 12th over to smash 34 runs, which is now the most expensive over in SA20 history.
The four Player of the Match candidates were Quinton de Kock, Connor Esterhuizen, Anrich Nortje and Sherfane Rutherford, with the QDK winning 91.2% of the fan vote.
Sunrisers had earlier delivered a clinical bowling and catching display to limit the Capitals to a below-par total.
Although new opener Connor Esterhuizen (52, 33 balls, 6x4, 2x6) and middle-order smasher Sherfane Rutherford (47 not out, 22 balls, 3x4, 4x6) bookended the innings, the Sunrisers never loosened their grip.
Anrich Nortje lit up his former home ground with thunderbolts in excess of 150 km/h to claim 3/32, while Lewis Gregory was metronomical to finish with figures 1/18 off his four overs.
Adam Milne was also able to absorb a 22-run penultimate over to claim 2/36, which included the big wicket of Capitals' new West Indian recruit Andre Russell.
It was courtesy of a spellbinding one-handed diving catch from Player of the Match De Kock, which underlined the Sunrisers' supremacy on the night.
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