Delport rocks the Giants
Paarl sneak into playoff after disciplined bowling effort, opener’s winning innings
CAMERON Delport played a cracking innings to seal the Paarl Rocks’ playoff spot after the home team chased down a target of 130 in 15.2 overs to seal a bonus-point win at Boland Park.
The Rocks will now play the Jozi Stars at the Wanderers for a place in the Mzansi Super League (MSL) final against the Cape Town Blitz on Sunday after beating the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants yesterday.
The left-handed Delport was the only batsman on either side who played with any fluency on a slow pitch on a warm afternoon in Paarl, striking 84 off 45 balls. The 29-year-old lost his opening partner Henry Davids (12) in the fourth over with the Giants also taking the wickets of home skipper Faf du Plessis (6) and Dwayne Bravo (0).
The loss of Du Plessis and Bravo had the potential to derail the run-chase, but Delport found some good support from Aiden Markram (14 not out) with pair putting on a 78-run stand for the third wicket to seal the victory.
With nine runs required in the 16th over, David Wiese smashed a six off left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso, followed by wide, and then a couple of runs to complete the win.
Earlier, the Rocks limited the Giants to 129/8 with a disciplined bowling effort.
Bravo (3/22) and Tabraiz Shamsi (1/15) came to the fore with the ball for the hosts.
Bravo, playing in his 415th T20 game, used all his experience as he mixed up his pace to cleverly grab the vital wickets of Heino Kuhn (4), Rudi Second (37) and Marco Marais (20). The Giants found the going tough from the moment captain Jon-Jon Smuts (11) fell in the third over to seamer Kerwin Mugroo (1/26).
David Wiese (1/19) then got the big scalp of Jason Roy (22) in the fifth over when the England international was caught at point by Bravo.
From that point onwards the Giants struggled to up the runrate as Shamsi put the brakes on during the middle overs, with the Proteas spinner being rewarded with the wicket of Ben Duckett.
The visitors were deep in the mire at 111/7 after 18.5 overs but Chris Morris played a late cameo of 27 not out off just 10 balls to propel the innings towards the end.
It was not enough though to halt a rampaging Delport and a Rocks team that have now snuck in through the back door to keep alive their hopes in the MSL.