Sunrisers dish out Capitals punishment in sensational batting display

Former England batsman Jonny Bairstow produced an innings of stunning power as he and Quinton de Kock took Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a sensational 10-wicket win over Pretoria Capitals in the Betway SA20 cricket competition in Centurion on Monday night.

Set the not inconsiderable target of 177 to win, the Sunrisers pair silenced the home fans with a phenomenal display of batting to achieve victory in 14.2 overs, picking up a bonus point to go to the top of the log.

There was a slightly uneasy start by the two batsmen, but once they found their stride they smashed the hapless Capitals attack to all corners of the ground, mostly over the boundary rope.

Bairstow took 14 balls for his first 13 runs, but refused to be concerned at the situation and when the final blow had been struck he had reached 85 off 45 balls, walloping eight fours and six sixes.

The crescendo came in the 12th over bowled by Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj, who had won the toss and decided to bat first.

Realising there was a real chance of earning a bonus point, Bairstow simply opened his shoulders at every delivery with three sixes off the first three balls, followed by a four, and then two more sixes.

The 34 runs off that over meant there could only be one winner and the Sunrisers duly completed a scarcely believable demolition job on the home side.

At the other end De Kock was all style and attacking instinct. Anything but the most precise of deliveries was punished and his 79 off 41 balls with five fours and six sixes was another example of his supreme talent.

Earlier, a classy half-century by Capitals opener Connor Esterhuizen was complemented by a late blitz from West Indian Sherfane Rutherford to set up the home team’s challenging total of 176/7.

The score was slightly below the par first innings score at Centurion of 182 and that was a result of the Capitals losing wickets just when they seemed to be getting on top.

This included the dismissal of big guns such as Dewald Brewis and Andre Russell, while Shai Hope and Wihan Lubbe also fell relatively cheaply.

Fortunately for them, Esterhuizen held the first half of the innings together, memorably smacking Marco Jansen for three fours in a row when he was brought back into the attack.

His dismissal for 52 off 33 balls with six fours and two sixes saw Capitals slip to 111/4 and 15 runs later the dangerous Brewis was also back in the dressing room for a subdued eight runs off 13 balls.

This was when the lefthanded Rutherford stepped up to the plate to make sure that the pressure remained squarely on the Sunrisers’ attack.

Swiftly sending anything short over the square leg boundary, he pounded the bowlers in a blockbusting innings of 47 off just 22 balls, launching four sixes into the stratosphere and three fours.

Despite a late hammering, Adam Milne did well to take 2/36 and speedster Anrich Nortje was also effective with his return of 3/32.

Ensuring that there was no breakaway by the Capitals in the middle overs was the bowling of Luke Gregory, who was outstanding in conceding only 18 runs in four overs for the wicket of Lubbe.