Faf Du Plessis’s sensational 92 helps Super Kings dim Sunrisers

A sensational batting display by Faf du Plessis helped the Joburg Super Kings register a comfortable 24-run victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape on Sunday to book their spot in their Betway SA20 semifinals.

In front of a rousing Wanderers crowd, Du Plessis struck seven fours and four sixes on his way to 92, sharing 119 runs for the first wicket with Reeza Hendricks to help their side to a competitive 160-6 in their allotted overs.

Chasing 161 for victory, the men in orange found batting tough on a tricky pitch, with Temba Bavuma chalking up his first half-century of the tournament (50 off 34) with the Eastern Cape side ending on 136-9 in 20 overs.

They lost three wickets for just 23 runs as Adam Rossington fell early, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana Carrom for a single before Super King’s speedster Gerald Coetzee struck twice in a run-less fifth over, claiming the wickets of Jordan Hermann (5) and Jon-Jon Smuts for a duck.

Proteas teammates Bavuma and Aiden Markram took their team to 67-3 at the halfway stage, Bavuma striking five boundaries and two sixes on his way to 50 off 34 balls before he was undone by a low ball that crashed into his stumps off Kyle Simmonds.

Simmonds struck again when he bowled Tristan Stubbs (5) before trapping Marco Jansen leg-before wicket in his final over to leave the Orange Army reeling on 98-6.

Markram was caught at point for 34 off Romario Shepherd at the start of the 16th over before Theekshana grabbed his second when he bowled James Fuller (2).

Matthew Wade caught Brydon Carse down the leg as Roelof van der Merwe (16) and Sisanda Magala (1) denied Super Kings the bonus-point victory.

Simmonds finished with 3-23 in his four overs, while Theekshana, Coetzee and Shepherd claimed two wickets apiece.

Earlier Du Plessis crossed the 50-run mark after taking 17 runs off Van der Merwe in the ninth over before he and Hendricks took their side past 100 in the 11th. They took their partnership to 119 before Hendricks fell for 36 to Carse, caught by Hermann in the 15th over. That wicket saw momentum swing in favour of the visitors, who picked up six wickets for just 45 runs in the final six overs.

Du Plessis continued to bat freely under challenging conditions as wickets tumbled around him.

Australia’s Wade (7) fell when he tried a reverse sweep only for the ball to ricochet off his body before trickling onto his stumps for Markram’s first wicket of the match.

Rossington whipped off the bails to remove Donavon Ferreira, giving Markram his second wicket of the over, before the Kings lost three more wickets — Leus du Plooy (5) then Romario Shepherd (2) before Du Plessis (92) fell off the final ball of the 19th over, bowled by Magala.

Magala and Markram finished with 2-24 and 2-7 from five overs, while Marco Jansen andCarse claimed one apiece.