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Lhuan-dre Pretorius' 98* Powers Paarl Royals to Nail-Biting 1-Run SA20 Victory

Lhuan-dre Pretorius announced his return to form with a blistering, unbeaten 98 to propel the Paarl Royals to a competitive total. In a dramatic finish, seamer Ottniel Baartman defended 15 runs in the final over, with the winning runs denied by mere inches on the last ball. The Royals' victory was set up by a 100-run opening partnership and a key three-wicket spell from Sikandar Raza that disrupted MI Cape Town's chase. This thrilling one-run win marks a major statement for the Royals in the SA20 Western Cape derby.

Key Points: Paarl Royals Edge MI Cape Town by 1 Run in SA20 Thriller

  • Pretorius' match-winning 98*
  • Baartman's tense final over defense
  • Royals' 100-run opening stand
  • Raza's crucial 3-wicket spell
2 min read

SA20: Paarl Royals edge MI Cape Town in derby thriller

Lhuan-dre Pretorius' unbeaten 98 sets up a last-ball thriller as Paarl Royals defend 15 in the final over to beat MI Cape Town by one run in SA20.

"The ball fell just inches short of the boundary rope which sent the Royals faithful into a frenzy. - Match Report"

Paarl, Jan 3

Lhuan-dre Pretorius' SA20 season four burst into life with an unbeaten 98 to drive Paarl Royals to a thrilling one-run victory over MI Cape Town in the Western Cape derby at Boland Park.

Royals' seamer Ottniel Baartman had 15 runs to defend in the final over, and after Kagiso Rabada smashed the third delivery for six over long off, it seemed the momentum had swung MI Cape Town's way. But Baartman (4/51) had Rabada caught on the boundary the next ball before the equation was reduced to MI Cape Town requiring six off the final delivery for victory. George Linde made good contact by carving a length delivery over the covers, but the ball fell just inches short of the boundary rope which sent the Royals faithful into a frenzy.

Pretorius had endured a quiet start to the competition in the first couple of matches, but the league's leading scorer of last season was back at his beloved home ground. The teenager was back to his belligerent best, cracking 10 boundaries and two sixes during his 65-ball stay at the crease. The Royals faithful were spurring Pretorius on to a maiden T20 century, but it was not to be, with Rabada delivering a dot ball to close out the Royals innings.

The four player of the match candidates were Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sikandar Raza, Asa Tribe and Rassie van der Dussen with Pretorius winning 72% of the fan vote. The visitors were under pressure from the outset with Pretorius and Asa Tribe dominating the power play. The Royals' opening pair put on exactly 100 in 10.4 overs before MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan (2/31) had the Jersey international caught for 51 off 34 balls.

MI Cape Town enjoyed an equally good start with Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton (36) adding 77 for the first wicket in 7.5 overs before Royals' new recruit Sikander Raza (3/27) announced his arrival at SA20. The Zimbabwe international removed both Rickelton and the dangerous Nicholas Pooran and later clean bowled Tom Moores for a first-ball duck to stem the MI Cape Town tide. But it was the double-wicket over from Baartman when the seamer picked up both Van der Dussen (59) and Jason Smith (1) within three balls of each other that scuppered MI Cape Town's momentum.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Pretorius is such a exciting young talent. 98 not out is a fantastic knock. It's a shame he missed out on the century, but he won the game for his team. That's what matters most.
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Vikram M
Sikandar Raza with 3 wickets! He's a true all-rounder and such an asset. Zimbabwean players showing their class in these leagues. The game turned when he got those quick wickets. Good to see.
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Aman W
Enjoyed the match, but honestly, the fielding standards in the last few overs could have been better. That ball falling just short of the boundary... a better fielder might have caught it or saved a run. Just my two cents.
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Priya S
MI Cape Town lost this from a winning position. 77-run opening stand is a great platform, but they lost wickets in clusters. Raza and Baartman broke their back. Cricket is a game of small moments! 🤯
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David E
Thriller indeed! These close finishes are what make T20 cricket so popular worldwide. Great advertisement for the SA20 league. Hope it continues to grow and we see more Indian players there in future seasons.

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