Sun shines on Markram and Orange Army in SA20

In a match which featured two of the finest innings’ in the first season of the Betway SA20, it was the performances of the two bowling units which ultimately proved critical. 

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape bowlers just held their nerve at the end to secure their team a spot in Saturday’s final, with a 14-run victory over the Joburg Super Kings.

“I can’t lie, I was nervous towards the end there,” said Aiden Markram.

His brilliant century helped set the Super Kings a hefty target of 224, which at SuperSport Park, with a short boundary on one side, is no safety guarantee.

The Super Kings bowlers delivered seven wides and five no balls, two of the latter coming in Gerald Coetzee’s final over. Until then, he’d been the bowler Faf du Plessis turned to to restore control.

Coetzee conceded 27 runs in that last over, the low point of a poor conclusion for the Super Kings in a field in which they conceded 98 runs in the last six overs.

“We were slightly off tonight,” said Du Plessis.

“I had that feeling while we were in the field and that shows with those small things at the back end; hands get slippery, the ball goes fuller than you want, etc. But those no balls are big no-nos if you want to get across the line.”

Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming agreed.

“We had a good start and then we were a little bit messy, we lacked accuracy today at key times. It wasn’t all about us. Aiden Markram played an excellent innings after being under pressure in the first six overs. We were a little bit underwhelmed by our performance, but also appreciate it was a fine hundred."

Markram scored 100, getting to the landmark with a saucy, lofted drive over extra cover for six, putting the stamp on an innings many feel he is capable of on a more consistent basis, regardless of the format. His animated celebration most likely spoke to some of that, but also to the fact he delivered on such an important occasion. 

“It’s definitely my best innings in T20” he said. “I never thought I’d get the three figures, especially batting at No 4. It helps when you get on a really good pitch and at altitude where the ball flies.”

Reeza Hendricks nearly matched, but fell four runs short of a hundred. Nevertheless, his innings was packed with typically elegant stroke play and had one of his teammates stayed with him and forged a partnership, the outcome on Thursday might have been different. 

Instead it's the Sunrisers who head to the Wanderers for Saturday’s final against the Pretoria Capitals.

The Eastern Cape team started the tournament slowly, winning just one of their first four matches, but gradually turned around their fortunes, with veteran spinner Roelof van der Merwe’s call-up a crucial turning point.

He increased his tally of wickets in the tournament to 16 by claiming another two on Thursday and, according to Markram, his energy exemplified the hard-working ethos in the team.

“We’ve got a great bunch of guys. Maybe it doesn’t look like that on paper, but there’s a lot of strong characters and guys who really play their hearts out. The coaching staff have been incredible, you can’t ask for more. The guys are desperate to win and you can’t substitute that for anything.”