Coles shines with bat and ball to secure Sunrisers' playoff qualification

Sussex allrounder James Coles announced himself on the SA20 stage with an all-round display on Wednesday that pushed Sunrisers Eastern Cape into the playoffs and, for now, to the top of the table. Joburg Super Kings, playing without Faf du Plessis for the remainder of the season, remained fourth after going down by 61 runs in Gqeberha.

Coles first led Sunrisers' batting from No. 6 with a 34-ball 61 and then returned figures of 2 for 34. His innings bolstered Quinton de Kock's 54 in lifting the hosts to 178, and his bowling alongside Senuran Muthusamy's 3 for 26 prised open the chase.

JSK stayed fourth, three points clear of fifth-placed Durban's Super Giants, and can still secure qualification by winning their last two matches. Sunrisers, helped by another bonus point, are well placed to finish in the top two with two games remaining.

After not getting a chance with bat or ball in his first SA20 appearance, Coles was suddenly tasked with repairing a Sunrisers innings that had lost its way. De Kock had cut through the JSK quicks to race to 22 off his first ten balls and then to a 33-ball half-century, but a flurry of wickets stalled the momentum.

Jonny Bairstow (18) and Matthew Breetzke (3) fell in the powerplay, and the turning point arrived in the 11th over from Donovan Ferreira, captaining JSK in du Plessis' absence. With Sunrisers 89 for 2, Ferreira had Jordan Hermann (13) hole out in the deep before trapping de Kock lbw for 54.

That brought together Tristan Stubbs at No. 5 and Coles at No. 6, and their response was measured at first before blossoming. The partnership of 88 lasted until the final ball of the innings, with Stubbs content to let Coles take the lead.

Coles found the gaps repeatedly: Richard Gleeson went for 24 across the 17th and 19th overs, Nandre Burger leaked 14 in the 18th, and Wiaan Mulder conceded 11 in the 20th. Stubbs finished 23 not out from 22 balls with a single four, while Coles struck ten boundaries in his 61. He was dismissed off the last ball as Sunrisers closed on 178 for 5.

Adam Milne's pace with the new ball forced Rivaldo Moonsamy on to the back foot early, but James Vince countered sharply against Marco Jansen as JSK sped to 31 without loss in 3.2 overs. Tristan Stubbs' decision to throw Coles the ball that early, however, changed the tone. Moonsamy, still searching for fluency, holed out in the fourth over, and in the eighth Vince was stumped for 30 while trying to force the tempo, both to Coles' left-arm orthodox spin.

From 46 for 2, the chase unravelled. Dian Forrester fell to Muthusamy after hitting a six and a four, Coles and de Kock combined to run out Matthew de Villiers and Mulder's run of spin dismissals - his sixth in his last seven innings - continued when Muthusamy bowled him. At that stage, JSK were 86 for 5, and two balls later lost a struggling Michael Pepper (21 in 24 balls) for Muthusamy's third wicket.

With a bonus point in sight, Sunrisers' quicks finished the job. Milne had Akeal Hosein sky one to the keeper, Jansen induced a skier from Ferreira, Anrich Nortje found backward point with Burger's edge, and Jansen closed the match in the 19th over when Gleeson edged behind.

JSK were bowled out for 117 in 18.1 overs; Sunrisers claimed their fourth bonus-point win.