Ngidi stars as Royals edge Capitals in Centurion
Lungi Ngidi excelled with the ball as the Paarl Royals produced a fine all-round performance to edge the Pretoria Capitals by 10 runs in their SA20 fixture at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.
It was the second time in two days the Royals got one over the Capitals after their 27-run win in Paarl on Friday.
The win, spurred on by Ngidi who took 4/39, also took them to second on the table with two wins from two. Chasing a steep 211 for victory, the Capitals could only reach 200/7 in reply.
The home team recovered from losing two wickets in the first over to keep pace with the required run rate thanks to an aggressive 82 off 45 balls (four sixes, 10 fours) from Rilee Rossouw, his highest SA20 score. Will Jacks added a handy 58 at the top of the order as the pair shared 147 runs for the fourth wicket in only 77 deliveries. It was the third-highest partnership for any wicket in the competition. It was also a record stand for the fourth wicket.
NGIDI HAD THEIR NUMBER AND WAS SUPERB FOR THE VISITORS, CLAIMING THE WICKETS OF PHIL SALT AND THEUNIS DE BRUYN IN THE FIRST OVER
But Ngidi had their number and was superb for the visitors, claiming the wickets of Phil Salt and Theunis de Bruyn in the first over before later adding the scalps of Rossouw and Corbin Bosch.
Earlier, unbeaten SA20 debut half-centuries by David Miller (75) and Mitchell van Buuren (72) ensured the Royals posted a formidable 210/3.
Having lost the toss and being asked to bat, the visitors will have been pleased with their total despite losing two wickets inside the power play.
Jason Roy (5) backed away to hit a length delivery from seamer Daryn Dupavillon early in the second over into the safe hands of Jacks at backward point.
Jacks was again in the action pouching a chance chipped to him by Wihan Lubbe (12) off the bowling of the home team captain Jimmy Neesham.
English star Jos Buttler looked in the mood to bully from the start, slapping five fours and a six in his 36 off 23 deliveries. But just as he was kicking into even higher gear, he was brilliantly caught by that man Jacks again, who covered some distance to his left in the deep to land a running, diving effort to present leg spinner Adil Rashid with a wicket.
That had the Royals precariously balanced at 69/3 in the ninth over. But from then it was the Miller-Van Buuren show as they recorded their first competition half-centuries in an unbroken and outstanding partnership for the fourth wicket of 141-runs in 76 balls. They hit three sixes each with Van Buuren facing 40 deliveries and Miller 42.