Rashid and Parnell inspire Pretoria Capitals to nail-biting victory over Sunrisers

Three wickets by Pretoria Capitals spin bowler Adil Rashid handed them a nail-biting three run victory in their SA20 clash against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Pretoria on Thursday.

Rashid conceded just 30 runs from his four overs, claiming three important wickets. Skipper Wayne Parnell grabbed three wickets as the hosts bagged their second victory of the campaign after the visitors finished on 122/9 in their 20 overs.   

Earlier, another superb bowling effort from the Sunrisers saw them restrict the home side to a below-par 125 all out after a disciplined effort in the field that saw just eight fours and five sixes being hit in their 18.3 overs.   

Chasing 126 runs for victory and a chance to return to second position on the table, the Sunrisers got off to a rocky start.

Eathan Bosch and Daryn Dupavillon grabbed a wicket apiece in the first two overs, removing Adam Rossington (4) and Dawid Malan (6) with the visitors on 10/2 in the third over.   

Sunrisers lost a third wicket when a leading edge from skipper Aiden Markram saw Dupavillon grab his second wicket to leave the visitors at 22/3 after the first six overs, their lowest score after the power play this season.   

Jordan Hermann fell next, caught at long off for eight runs as Rashid grabbed his second of the match. Sunrisers reached the halfway mark on 41/4, needing 85 from the last 60 balls.   

Tristan Stubbs and Patrick Kruger added 40 runs for the fifth wicket, before Kruger fell for 22, off Parnell, who also picked up the wicket of Marco Jansen, to complete a double wicket maiden to end the 15th over.   

Rashid picked up two wickets in the 17th over, dismissing Stubbs for a valiant 35, before Beyers Swanepoel holed out in the deep for a duck, with the visitors still needing 36 from the final three overs.

Parnell removed Simon Harmer for six runs to claim his third wicket before Dupavillon defended 11 runs off the final over as Liam Dawson finished unbeaten on 29.   

Rashid registered 3/30 from four overs, Parnell recorded 3/33 from his four overs, while Dupavillon and Bosch claimed 2/21 and 1/11 respectively.

Winning the toss and choosing to field first, two wickets by Jansen and one by Daniel Worrall got the Sunrisers off to a fast start after Phil Salt hit two huge sixes to get the game under way.   

Jansen removed Will Jacks (0) and Salt (20) in the second over before Worrall disturbed the stumps of Kyle Verreynne (9) to leave the Capitals reeling on 32/3 after 2.4 overs.   

Things did not improve when they lost Rilee Rossouw (13) and Colin Ingram (4) in consecutive overs, slipping to 52/5 after the power play.   

James Neesham and Shane Dadswell shared 52 for the sixth wicket, taking their side past 100 in the 13th over, however, both men would perish to compound the Sky Blues’ misery.   

Dadswell (24) was expertly caught by Harmer off Liam Dawson before Neesham (27) was stumped by Adam Rossington for skipper Aiden Markram’s first wicket with the Capitals limping to 109/7 and 28 deliveries left in their innings.   

They lost their final three wickets for the addition of just 16 runs, as Jansen and Worrall combined twice in consecutive overs, Jansen claiming the wicket of Parnell (13), caught by Worrall before Jansen completed a catch on the boundary to remove Bosch (4) off Worrall.   

A third run-out, that of Rashid for a single, brought the innings to an end as the Sunrisers bowled the Capitals out inside their 20 overs for a second consecutive match.

Jansen finished with figures of 3/27 from 3.3 overs, Worrall claimed 2/29 from his four overs, while Markram and Dawson took a wicket each.