Matches (13)
IPL (2)
PSL (2)
Women's Tri-Series (SL) (1)
County DIV1 (3)
County DIV2 (4)
USA-W vs ZIM-W (1)

Eastern Cape vs Royals, 3rd Match at Paarl, SA20, Jan 11 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
3rd Match, Paarl, January 11, 2025, SA20
(18.4/20 ov, T:176) 176/1

Royals won by 9 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
97 (51)
lhuan-dre-pretorius
Cricinfo's MVP
138.68 ptsImpact List
lhuan-dre-pretorius
New
PR
Full commentary

T20 cricket seems to have got a new star in the making. Teenaged Pretorius has announced himself with a match-winning 97, and given PR four points to begin with. But the action from SA20 isn't done just yet; it's time to switch over to JSK vs MICT from Johannesburg, as the hosts begin their campaign. With that, we wrap up from the afternoon game of the Saturday double-header. See you, and take care!

David Miller, PR captain: "It was a great start. It was a decent score... the way the guys played upfront, it was great to see. Root is a true ambassador of the game, and a role model for the youngsters. He obviously trains extremely hard. Hats off to him."

Aiden Markram, SEC captain: "Periods where we were good today... it was tough to get back into the game. Obviously disappointed to lose. It was nice [to score 82]. Would have liked to score more runs... Things come real quickly. The standard of this competition is really high. We've experienced this before. Can't get easier. We'll scrap our way."

Lhuan-dre Pretorius is the Player of the Match: "I'm just glad if we get over the line. Batting with Root, he calmed me down. Just lost for words. I was getting annoyed facing a couple of dot balls... Now it's not looking too ahead in the future."

Time for the presentations

4.08pm A one-sided contest, really, if you look back. PR start their season with a comprehensive win, helped by their 18-year-old debutant Pretorius. The left-hand batter swung, swiped, slashed, swept and reversed to show his variety. He might regret missing out on a century, but today will instead be about the 97 he scored in such dominant fashion. SEC, after starting with a... well, 97-run defeat against MICT, now suffer another big loss. These results have dented their NRR already, but there's still a long, long way to go. They'll back themselves to hit back. Meanwhile, hang around with us for the presentations.

18.4
1
Baartman to Root, 1 run

walks down, and whips wide of mid-on! PR ace their chase of 176, and walk back home with nine wickets and eight balls in the bank. It was a full ball just outside off, and he got across slightly to let the ball flow off his bat

18.3
1
Baartman to Miller, 1 run

whips this length ball to deep-backward square leg

18.2
4
Baartman to Miller, FOUR runs

ohh, the ball spins away from Jansen at mid-off! Miller swatted this length ball angling across him and finishing just outside off. The ball went to Jansen's right, before jumping and turning away to fox Jansen

PR one hit away...

18.1
1
Baartman to Root, 1 run

fullish ball on middle and off, and clipped behind square

Baartman back

Archit: "Hopefully, they bounce back after two thumping losses. Come on, SEC"

end of over 188 runs
PR: 169/1CRR: 9.38 RRR: 3.50 • Need 7 runs from 12b
David Miller12 (15b)
Joe Root60 (42b 4x4 1x6)
Marco Jansen 4-0-31-1
Richard Gleeson 3-0-30-0
17.6
Jansen to Miller, no run

ohh, an inswinging yorker which hits Miller on the front leg, which is stationed outside leg, as he looks to whip but misses

17.5
1
Jansen to Root, 1 run

on a length on leg, and a short-arm pull towards deep-backward square leg

"Joe Root is in the form of his life. England should select him in ODIs against India and then in Champions trophy" --- Wake up, Hassan!

17.4
1
Jansen to Miller, 1 run

nearly a yorker-length ball swinging into middle, and clipped towards mid-on for a quick single

17.3
1
Jansen to Root, 1 run

quite full and straight, and clipped to deep square leg

17.2
4
Jansen to Root, FOUR runs

wow, his impressive timing continues! He waits for this length ball angling across and arriving outside off to bounce well, and then unleashes the late cut to deep-backward point

Ankur Baid: "Worse possible start for Sunrises. Two huge losses will hamper their NRR"

17.1
1
Jansen to Miller, 1 run

full and around off. Driven to deep point from deep in the crease

Do SEC have any hope now? Here comes Jansen

end of over 1711 runs
PR: 161/1CRR: 9.47 RRR: 5.00 • Need 15 runs from 18b
David Miller10 (12b)
Joe Root54 (39b 3x4 1x6)
Richard Gleeson 3-0-30-0
Simon Harmer 4-0-34-0
16.6
1
Gleeson to Miller, 1 run

quite full on middle and leg again, and chipped down towards long-on

16.5
2
Gleeson to Miller, 2 runs

slower ball, and very nearly a yorker on middle and leg. Whipped wide of fine leg for two

16.4
1
Gleeson to Root, 1 run

on the shorter side again, but closer around off. Dispatched to deep square leg

16.3
4
Gleeson to Root, FOUR runs

fifty for Root! On the shorter side of a length from Gleeson, and just outside off. He shifts his weight back, and pulls it to deep midwicket

16.2
2
Gleeson to Root, 2 runs

great work by Crawley, who runs and dives to his left from deep point to keep this to two. It was the late cut from Root, who let this length ball around sixth come on to him

16.1
1
Gleeson to Miller, 1 run

full ball angling across towards middle and off. He has a swing, but gets an inside edge to fine leg

Gleeson to resume after the break

end of over 1610 runs
PR: 150/1CRR: 9.37 RRR: 6.50 • Need 26 runs from 24b
David Miller6 (9b)
Joe Root47 (36b 2x4 1x6)
Simon Harmer 4-0-34-0
Liam Dawson 3-0-23-0

Muneeb: "Woahh! Very nearly we missed the opportunity to watch 3 T20 hundreds in the same day across two leagues in distant parts of the world."

Time-out

15.6
1
Harmer to Miller, 1 run

full delivery on middle, and driven down to keep ticking

15.5
1
Harmer to Root, 1 run

tucks this fullish ball on the stumps to long-on

15.4
2
Harmer to Root, 2 runs

whips this full ball on middle and leg to deep square leg, and they hurriedly bag two

15.3
1
Harmer to Miller, 1 run

ohh, this dips on a full length on the stumps, and is much slower too. He pushes forward, but gets an inside edge wide of the stumps

Language
English
Win Probability
PR 100%
SECPR
100%50%100%SEC InningsPR Innings

Over 19 • PR 176/1

Royals won by 9 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)
Powered by Smart Stats
AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Royals Innings
<1 / 3>

SA20

TeamMWLPTNRR
MICT1072352.446
PR107328-0.125
SEC105524-0.206
JSK104519-0.208
PC102614-0.585
DSG102612-1.256