Sunrisers vs Royals, 7th Match at Gqeberha, SA20, Dec 31 2025 - Match Result

RESULT
7th Match, Gqeberha, December 31, 2025, SA20
(19.4/20 ov, T:150) 150/5

Royals won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
71* (38)
david-miller
Cricinfo's MVP
118.71 ptsImpact List
david-miller
Match centre 
Scores: Ranjith P | Comms: Fidel Fernando
Scorecard summary
Sunrisers Eastern Cape • 149/10(20 overs)
47 (35)
4/34 (4)
33 (20)
3/36 (4)
Paarl Royals • 150/5(19.4 overs)
71* (38)
2/21 (4)
2/25 (4)
Cricinfo's Most Valuable Players of the Match
PlayerTeam
TI
Runs
I. Runs
B. Impact
Bowl
I. Wkts
Bo. Impact
PR118.7171(38)94.73118.71---
SEC91.1617(9)19.621.862/253.1669.31
SEC79.024(3)4.184.052/213.1774.97
PR67.82---4/344.2667.82
SEC46.3133(20)40.0846.31---

Here's a very true observation from DaWolf to sign us off: "Miller batting on a different wicket to everyone else. "

That's it from our coverage of this SA20 match. We'll have the second one of the day for you shortly.

SEC captain Stubbs: M"We batted well but whenever we tried to pull the trigger we lost wickets at the wrong time. Dave played really well."

****

Captain Miller takes Royals home. It was a spectacular innings from him, raising his team from the depths of 35 for 4. That 114-run partnership with KLC transformed the outlook of this game. Miller, it has to be said, seemed like the only batter to truly get the measure of this tacky Gqeberha surface. Some of those hits were so cleanly and so effortlessly struck.

This loss is the first of SEC's season. Royals have recorded their first win.

19.5
1w
Gregory to Potgieter, 1 wide

aaahhhh that's disappointing. Batter backs away and Gregory tries to follow him. Sprays it too far down leg though, and that's an easy wide call. That's the game

One needed off two. New batter Potgieter on strike

19.4
W
Gregory to Lion-Cachet, OUT

caught at gully. Surely Royals cannot screw it up from here? This is full, outside off, and KLC carves this to the left of Muthusamy, who falls to his left and takes a sharp catch.

Keagan Lion-Cachet c Muthusamy b Gregory 45 (40b 6x4 0x6 56m) SR: 112.5
19.3
Gregory to Lion-Cachet, no run

slower bouncer outside off, KLC tries to swat it and misses

19.2
Gregory to Lion-Cachet, no run

full just wide of off, KLC takes a step towards it and plays a cover drive, but can't beat the packed offside infield

19.1
1
Gregory to Miller, 1 run

bouncer into the body, Miller pulls this hard and strong but the legside sweeper collects it on the bounce

end of over 1915 runs
PR: 148/4CRR: 7.78 • RRR: 2.00 • Need 2 from 6b
Keagan Lion-Cachet45 (37b 6x4)
David Miller70 (37b 4x4 5x6)
Marco Jansen 4-0-25-2
Anrich Nortje 4-0-21-2
18.6
4
Jansen to Lion-Cachet, FOUR runs

fullish ball on the stumps. Jansen misses the yorker, but KLC nails the lofted straight drive. It goes like a bullet over the bowler's head and into the boundary hoardings

Paarl Royals one hit away.

18.5
2
Jansen to Lion-Cachet, 2 runs

length ball, slower one I think, on the stumps. Dragged to deep midwicket who has work to do

18.4
Jansen to Lion-Cachet, no run

Jansen nails the yorker but KLC digs it out to point

18.3
4
Jansen to Lion-Cachet, FOUR runs

KLC getting fancy with it now. This is a back of a lengtth ball on the stumps, and he reverse-scoops this over short third for four. A tough shot to play, but a great connection

18.2
4
Jansen to Lion-Cachet, FOUR runs

angled into the toes, and helped to the fine leg boundary with a nice tickle

18.1
1
Jansen to Miller, 1 run

dropped! Is that the last nail for SEC? Miller has mis-hit a back of a length ball in the air towards deep point, where Gregory is running off the fence. But he doesn't make enough ground fast enough (he could have been quicker in the early going), and though he dives, can't get fingers under it

end of over 186 runs
PR: 133/4CRR: 7.38 • RRR: 8.50 • Need 17 from 12b
Keagan Lion-Cachet31 (32b 3x4)
David Miller69 (36b 4x4 5x6)
Anrich Nortje 4-0-21-2
Adam Milne 4-0-22-0
17.6
Nortje to Lion-Cachet, no run

bouncer into the body, KLC tries to help it over short fine, but can't connect properly

17.5
Nortje to Lion-Cachet, no run

bouncer into the body, KLC backs away and tries to swat to leg, but it goes off towards mid on and they decide against a run

17.4
4
Nortje to Lion-Cachet, FOUR runs

KLC gets a boundary again. This is length on the stumps and he backs off and crunches this between the bowler and mid off, all the way along the ground fo four.

17.3
1
Nortje to Miller, 1 run

length ball on the pads and this is whipped to deep square leg. KLC wants a second but is sent back. He would have been run out if the throw had been any good.

17.2
1
Nortje to Lion-Cachet, 1 run

length ball on the stumps, dragged with a flat bat through straight-ish midwicket

17.1
Nortje to Lion-Cachet, no run

back of a length ball, chopped into the square and cover fields

This could be over in a hurry.

end of over 178 runs
PR: 127/4CRR: 7.47 • RRR: 7.66 • Need 23 from 18b
David Miller68 (35b 4x4 5x6)
Keagan Lion-Cachet26 (27b 2x4)
Adam Milne 4-0-22-0
Tharindu Ratnayake 4-0-50-0
16.6
4
Milne to Miller, FOUR runs

in the arc again, and Miller is just hitting the ball so sweetly now, he's barely touching it. This is a low full toss just outside off, and Miller gets beautifully under that and blasts it over mid off

16.5
1
Milne to Lion-Cachet, 1 run

yorker at off stump, dug out to mid off

16.4
1
Milne to Miller, 1 run

short ball, slower one I think, at the body. Miller absolutely murders this through square leg, but it's straight to the fielder, who picks it up on the bounce

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
DA Miller
71 runs (38)
4 fours5 sixes
Productive shot
cover drive
14 runs
2 fours1 six
Control
87%
J Hermann
47 runs (35)
4 fours1 six
Productive shot
cover drive
15 runs
2 fours0 six
Control
66%
Best performances - bowlers
N Mokoena
O
4
M
0
R
34
W
4
ECO
8.5
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
1W
OEG Baartman
O
4
M
0
R
36
W
3
ECO
9
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
Match details
St George's Park, Gqeberha
TossSunrisers Eastern Cape, elected to bat first
Series
Season2025/26
Player Of The Match
Hours of play (local time)13.00 start, First Session 13.00-14.30, Interval 14.30-14.50, Second Session 14.50-16.20
Match days31 December 2025 - day (20-over match)
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
PointsPaarl Royals 4, Sunrisers Eastern Cape 0
Language
English
Win Probability
PR 100%
SECPR
100%50%100%SEC InningsPR Innings

Over 20 • PR 150/5

Keagan Lion-Cachet c Muthusamy b Gregory 45 (40b 6x4 0x6 56m) SR: 112.5
W
Royals won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)
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SA20

TeamMWLPTNRR
SEC1053281.762
PC1054240.218
PR105424-0.922
JSK1044220.045
DSG103419-0.068
MICT103614-1.013