Sunrisers Eastern Cape defeated Paarl Royals by 48 runs, thanks to strong performances with both bat and ball.

In a thrilling SA20 encounter at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Saturday, Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) delivered a stunning 48-run victory over the Paarl Royals, cementing their dominance with an impressive all-around performance.

Despite an initial hiccup, where SEC lost early wickets, they managed to recover, with Jordan Hermann leading the charge.

His 53 runs off 38 balls anchored the innings and provided the foundation for a competitive total of 148/8.

SEC’s middle-order, under pressure after the early dismissals of Tony de Zorzi and David Bedigham, was further tested when both Aiden Markram and Tom Abell fell cheaply.

However, Hermann found support from Tristan Stubbs, whose quickfire 43 off 27 balls gave the scorecard a much-needed boost.

Paarl Royals’ bowlers, led by Eshan Malinga, did their best to restrict SEC’s run rate, with Malinga claiming 2/21, but the partnership between Hermann and Stubbs turned the tide.

With the Sunrisers finishing their innings at a respectable 148, Paarl Royals were set a challenging target.

The Royals, however, never found their rhythm during their chase.

Missing key openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Joe Root, Paarl struggled right from the start. Marco Jansen and Craig Overton bowled with intent, each claiming three wickets and keeping the pressure mounting.

Rubin Hermann, third in for Paarl, battled valiantly, but he lacked support as wickets continued to tumble. SEC’s bowlers, especially Overton and Jansen, tore through the Royals’ middle-order.

Andile Phehlukwayo briefly offered hope, forming a partnership with Rubin Hermann, but their efforts were in vain as Markram’s key breakthroughs, including two wickets in the 13th over, ended Paarl’s resistance.

Despite their best efforts, the Royals could not recover and were eventually bowled out for just 100 runs in 18.2 overs, leaving them with no points from the game.

With this defeat, Paarl Royals failed to gain ground in the SA20 standings, remaining on 28 points, behind leaders MI Cape Town (30 points).

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape, on the other hand, displayed resilience and dominance, showing that they were the superior side in all facets of the game.