Royals vs Capitals, 20th Match at Paarl, SA20, Jan 25 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

4.37pm: Let's hear from the presentations, starting with Player of the Match, Joe Root, after his 78 from 56 and 2 for 32: "Most important thing is to read the surface and figure out the score you need. Today was a case of being brave enough to take it deeper and you might have a better match-up down the line. Thought we did that pretty well. [Bowling?] Stay as low as I can. Lack of bounce, makes it hard to get after. Didn't think it would spin as much as that. Just have to play to the best of your ability. Then about closing it out. Jacksy played a brilliant innings and they were close to matching it. Great game of cricket. Really enjoyed my time here, want to keep putting in winning performances."

Capitals captain, Rilee Rossouw: [Toss decision] "That's hindsight. We were confident in bowling first. They got away a bit at the end but we thought 140 was a score we could chase. We've got to be better. Everyone might have an off day but if we can get better on execution we'll be in a good place. [Jacks] Nice to see him score runs. Doing it at a run a ball shows how hard it was. [Next game at home] Suits us in the highveld, hard pitches for our batters and bowlers. We're going to put on a heck of a performance back home."

Royals captain David Miller: "Very satisfying, good to get another win. Tough batting here but the guys did exceptionally well. I've never seen it or been involved in it, 20 overs of spin. Worked out well today. So we were pretty happy that we bowled second. Doing the boring, simple things well. Control the controlables. About being constant and ready. The bowlers stepped up, so it's about sticking to that and continuing the good form. [Next game] It's been a gruelling week, we've got one more on Monday and then a few days off so we can rest up. It's more just the mental side at this stage of the tournament, and looking after the body."

And that is a wrap from the winelands - but we still have more SA20 to come today. Why not head over to Cape Town, where Rashad Mahbub is preparing to guide you through MICT's game against bottom-placed Durban's Super Giants? Or if spin's your thing, go and check out the T20I taking place in Chennai. From me, for now, it's cheerio. Bye!

4.30pm: So Royals march on, while Capitals' hopes take a further hit. They still have just a single victory to their name, after being stifled in their chase of 141. Will Jacks scrapped and battled to make 56 off 53 before falling in the final over, but the visitors could not break Royals' spin supremacy. For only the fourth time in all T20, a team sent down 20 overs of spin - and Boland Park proved to be the perfect venue for such a strategy

Root to bowl, boundaries needed

"Root bowled the 20th last week against MI Cape Town." Thanks for setting me right, Jason

Has that sealed it? Mujeeb finishes with brilliant figures of 2 for 17

Capitals need 30 from 12. Royals are 82% on Forecaster now

Perfect from Root, who is in line to bowl the 20th over (for what is surely the first time in his career) here

Keagan Lion-Cachet is in at No.7

Root is back

Kasinathan: "Miller wants to create a record by bowling all 20 overs of spin." It's only ever happened three times before in all T20, according to my colleague Sampath Bandarupalli - once in the Asian Games and a couple of times in Sri Lanka's T20 competition

Those byes keeping Capitals above water - on exactly the same score as Royals after 17