Markram and Erwee set Sunrisers on course for win against MI

A blistering 92-run partnership between Sunrisers Eastern Cape batsmen Aiden Markram and Sarel Erwee was enough to register a nail-biting four-wicket victory over MI Cape Town in their Betway SA20 fixture at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Monday evening. 

It was the Orange Army’s first win of the competition, overcoming the in-form Cape Town side with three balls remaining. 

Earlier, a steady 59-run fifth-wicket partnership between Rassie van der Dussen and George Linde provided the impetus to the Cape Town side’s innings as they ended on 158-8.

In pursuit of the 159 needed for victory, the home side got off to a terrible start, losing Adam Rossington off the first ball of the innings, caught by Kagiso Rabada off Sam Curran.

Fellow opener Jon-Jon Smuts (8) was next to go, trapped in front of his stumps by Curran, with the umpire raising his finger to send Smuts back to the dugout with nine runs on the board. 

Skipper Aiden Markram and Sarel Erwee then steadied the ship for the home side, taking the score from 9-2 to 101-3; sharing 92, the fourth-highest partnership for any wicket in the competition. 

The pair fell within seven deliveries of each other.

Erwee was first out leg before for 41 off Rashid Khan in the 13th over before Markram, who brought up his half-century, pulled an Odean Smith delivery into the waiting hands of Ryan Rickelton on the boundary.

He was one of two quick wickets to fall as Jordan Cox was trapped in front for a single an over later. 

Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen blasted 45 in the final five overs before Stubbs edged a Smith delivery to Roelofsen behind the stumps, the right-hander scoring 30 off 18 before losing his wicket in the final over before James Fuller (8) hit the winning runs. 

Smith finished with 3-23 in 2.3 overs while Curran claimed 2-37 in 4 overs.

The Western Cape side found scoring tough under lights, scoring 36 runs for the loss of Ryan Rickelton (7) and Grant Roelofsen (8) in the power play, the dismissals going to Sisanda Magala and Ottniel Baartman respectively. 

They added 17 runs in the next four overs while losing two more wickets to reach 53-4 after 10 overs.

Danger man Dewald Brevis was the next wicket to fall for 15, caught by Stubbs off Markram, who struck for a second time when he had Sam Curran (8) caught in his next over. 

Van der Dussen and Linde came together to take the visitors past 100, reaching 111 when he was trapped in front by a Magala yorker and given out leg before wicket by the umpire, with the resulting review being upheld to send the right-hander back to the dugout 

MI lost three more wickets — Odean Smith for 10, Delano Potgieter (2) and captain Rashid Khan (5) — with Linde (63 not out) continuing to score freely.

Baartman was the pick of the SEC bowlers as he finished with 3-39 from four overs, while Markram and Magala finished on 2-8 and 2-22 respectively. 

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.