R Hermann, Lawrence lift Paarl Royals to No. 2 after last-ball win

Paarl Royals (PR) completed the highest successful SA20 chase at their home ground, Boland Park, to all but dump Durban's Super Giants (DSG) out of contention for the playoffs.

After opting to chase, Royals may have questioned themselves when DSG piled on 186 but a 106-run third-wicket stand between Dan Lawrence and Rubin Hermann, both of whom went on to half-centuries and a 13-ball cameo from Sikandar Raza, which was worth 27 runs, sealed a six-wicket win. Raza won the game with six off the final ball, when Royals needed two to win.

The result moves Royals to No. 2, above SEC on net run-rate, and leaves DSG in fifth spot. DSG must beat PR in the return fixture on Saturday, their last league game, and will need other results to go their way. Royals have three more matches left.

The match was not without its drama as Royals were in control for most of the chase but lost wickets at crucial times. Lawrence and David Miller were dismissed in the space of four balls which left it to Raza to finish off. He kept his cool, even as Eathan Bosch and David Wiese threatened to pull off a special win. Royals needed six off the last over and Wiese conceded four off the first five balls before Raza hit him over mid-wicket to ensure a crowd that stayed out late on the final evening of school holidays were rewarded for their commitment.

With all eyes on the players who are T20 World Cup-bound, South Africa and DSG captain Aiden Markram was in the spotlight for his returns in the shortest format. Markram has had one fifty-plus score in his last 37 T20Is and had a top score of 37 in the SA20 before Tuesday which may have raised concerns but he may have started to put them to bed with his first half-century as DSG captain.

Sunil Narine dominated the first three overs as DSG raced to 32 without loss, then Markram got through Royals' mostly-spin squeeze and he chose his moment to hit out. In the 12th over, Markram hit Raza, at the tournament's joint-leading wicket-taker for six over long-on twice. He reached 50 off 35 balls and finished on 66 off 46.

Nineteen-year old Nqobani Mokoena has been Royals' go-to for the end overs, and he has been exceptional in holding his nerve, but Tuesday was tough on him. After conceding 19 off his first two overs, Mokoena was brought back to finish off and things started well. He had Markram caught behind off the first ball of the 17th over but -then Liam Livingstone hit him for back-to-back sixes. Miller stuck with his young quick for the penultimate over but Heinrich Klaasen got hold of him and sent a wide yorker for four and a short ball over long-on before he was dismissed. Livingstone ended the innings with another six and Mokoena's last two overs cost 37 runs. His final analysis of 4-0-56-2 is the most expensive of his 13-match T20 career.

There are a lot of expectations on Royals' opening pair of Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Asa Tribe but they came second to experience as they were both dismissed inside five overs and DSG seemed to take hold of the game. David Wiese, who has been playing professional cricket longer than the pair have been alive, showed his experience when he came back from being hit for four by Pretorius to bowl Tribe off the inside-edge, as the Jersey-born batter tried to send a fuller, widish ball over the leg-side. Pretorius got to the fifth over, but was frustrated with a lack of boundary-hitting options and was caught at square leg when he tried to pull Bosch over mid-wicket. Evan Jones took a tumbling catch at square leg to leave Royals 36 for 2, with victory a long way away.

It's match 23, and by ESPNcricinfo's ball-by ball count there have been 37 chances put down in this edition so far. And one of the ones we will remember came in the 11th over of the chase. Lawrence was on 41 off 27 balls, he had just hit Liam Livingstone for six over mid-wicket and four through deep backward square and his partnership with Hermann had grown to 59.

Royals were 95 for 2, and needed another 92 runs off 9.4 overs so they were about halfway there in terms of runs and balls. And then, Livingstone bowled it full, Lawrence tried to slog sweep and top-edged to deep fine leg. David Bedingham, playing just his second match of the tournament, was stationed there. While Lawrence went down on his haunches in irritation, Bedingham steadied himself under the ball and then watched it wobble its way out of his hands. That was DSG's 10th drop of the tournament, the most by any team, Lawrence went on to get 63, DSG dropped an 11th and Royals secured the win.