catch is the cry and it goes down again! The Royals scamper back for two and they smash multiple records in the process! The highest-ever chase in the SA20, and the Royals have, at the cost of sounding cliche, made it look ridiculously easy! Back of a length outside off. Miller stands tall and launches it towards long off. Ackerman runs around to his right again, dives forward but cannot make it stick. Not sure if that carried or not, but either way, that gave the batters the time they needed to get back for two. Miller raises his arm in celebration as he completes the second and is joined in celebrations soon after by his partner. What an exceptional partnership, and what a run-chase!
Capitals vs Royals, 12th Match at Centurion, SA20, Jan 18 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary
212/5
(19.4/20 ov, T:213) 213/2
Royals won by 8 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)
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PR
Full commentary
5pm That will be all from us for this game. But don't go too far. The Joburg Super Kings are getting ready to lock horns with MI Cape Town, and you can follow all the action here. Until next time, this is goodbye from Chandan and myself. Take care!
Joe Root, Player of the Match: (On if he is enjoying his time in South Africa) I am. It is a great tournament, great to be a part and great to play some T20 cricket. Great to get across the line in a chase like that. Our middle order is full of experience. You have seen what Lhuan-dre can do at the top and we have experience throughout. When you have someone like him (Miller), with more than 500 games, that can only be a good thing (for the team). At this ground, you feel like you can chase anything. It was about not panicking. One of us was going to have a dip (in the powerplay) and get close to the run-rate.
David Miller, Paarl Royals captain: It takes the wind out of you when you concede 24 off the last over. We concentrated on playing good cricket shots and taking it deep. Anything is possible here and we proved it today. (On Hermann) Nice when it works out, very happy for the young man. He has shown a lot of interest off the field and great for him to come in and do so well first up. He (Root) is a solid performer. One of the best ever and I have formed a good relationship with him playing at Yorkshire. A calm head and steadies the ship really well. Nice to have him.
Rilee Rossouw, Pretoria Capitals captain: We knew it was going to be a decent wicket and credit has to go them. they batted so well and never gave us a chance. When there was a wicket, there was a partnership. Two experienced guys who know what to do and credit to the way they finished it. (On who he turns to for advice) Luckily, we have a lot of experience. Neesham, Jacks and Verreynne, who reads the game from behind the stumps. There are guys with cricket brains who I can always turn to. We were not probably up to our standard (in the field) and something we can look at and address. They played superbly well.
Our stats guy Namooh Shah tells me this is the second-highest aggregate in an SA20 fixture, only behind the 462 the Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town managed in 2024. The common thread? SuperSport Park.
4:42pm Wow. What a run-chase. At the half-way stage, it seemed the Royals had a mountain to climb. In fact, no team had ever scored these many to win a game of cricket in the SA20. Across 19.4 overs, though, the Royals smirked at that record and to be fair to them, they barely seemed to break into a sweat. Most of which was down to Root, who batted like a dream, with everything seemingly coming off the middle of his bat. Hermann, on debut, was just as impressive and carted the bowling to all parts, which laid the foundation for Miller to do what he does best.
The Capitals will feel they have let one go here. They had history on their side and they had plenty of runs on the board. But they just could not pick up wickets at the right junctures, especially after dismissing Lhuan-dre Pretorius off the first ball of the innings. Jacks was the only bowler to go at under nine runs per over, with Neesham, Muthusamy and van Vuuren, in particular, very expensive and lacking the sort of penetration that would have made the Royals feel the scoreboard pressure.
19.4
2
Neesham to Miller, 2 runs
19.3
1
Neesham to Root, 1 run
low full toss outside off. Root bunts it to mid off and hurtles across to the other end. Single made much easier by Rossouw fumbling
3 off 4. Would be fitting if Root hits the winning runs. Or is there a twist left in this tale? Around the wicket to Root too
19.2
1
Neesham to Miller, 1 run
very full on the pads. Miller gets bat on it and glances it towards short fine leg, who gets something behind it and keeps it to a single
19.1
4
Neesham to Miller, FOUR runs
Miller delivers and smashes the first ball for four! Cutter on a back of a length outside off. Miller picks it early, sets himself up and smears it through mid wicket!
David Miller in death overs (in T20s)
RUNS
3759
OUTS
104
4s/6s
276/230
SR
184.62
AVE
36.14
Everyone in the ring is behind square (on both sides of the wicket)
So, it has come down to the last over. Just eight needed. Neesham to bowl. Miller on strike. Around the wicket. Proper box-office ending.
end of over 199 runs
PR: 205/2CRR: 10.78 • RRR: 8.00 • Need 8 runs from 6b
Joe Root91 (59b 11x4 2x6)
David Miller41 (21b 3x4 2x6)
Tiaan van Vuuren 4-0-51-0
Migael Pretorius 3-0-29-0
18.6
•
van Vuuren to Root, no run
slower ball on a full length outside off. Root gives it all he has but chalks it terribly, right back at the bowler. Third dot of the over
18.5
4
van Vuuren to Root, FOUR runs
gets this away, and Root finds the fence just when his side wanted him too! Attempted wide yorker that van Vuuren misses on the shorter side by a smidgen. Root opens his bat face and steers it fine past short third!
18.4
•
van Vuuren to Root, no run
another crucial dot at this stage of the game. Root has a swing at it but cannot make contact
18.3
2
van Vuuren to Root, 2 runs
slower ball on a back fo a length outside off. Root slaps it towards mid off and sets off for the single. Rossouw aims at the stumps at the bowler's end and misses. Root then pinches an over-throw too. Root would have been out had Rossouw hit the stumps, though
18.2
•
van Vuuren to Root, no run
low full toss outside off. Root laces his drive but cannot beat the fielder at mid off. Rare dot for the Royals; vital one for the Capitals
Verreynne is receiving treatment from the physio. Looks like he rolled his ankle over while trying to collect the throw, which caused the fumble and the subsequent over-throw
18.1
3
van Vuuren to Miller, 3 runs
follows Miller outside leg with a yorker. Miller somehow generates power, though, and whips it towards deep backward square leg. The fielder hurls in a slightly errant throw and the Capitals end up conceding an extra run. To compound their woes, seems like Verreynne, in trying to gather the throw, also seems to have injured himself
17 off 12. van Vuuren to bowl the 19th. The Royals might want to do a chunk of the damage this over
end of over 1810 runs
PR: 196/2CRR: 10.88 • RRR: 8.50 • Need 17 runs from 12b
Joe Root85 (54b 10x4 2x6)
David Miller38 (20b 3x4 2x6)
Migael Pretorius 3-0-29-0
Tiaan van Vuuren 3-0-42-0
17.6
•
Pretorius to Root, no run
hard length on middle and leg. Root has a massive swipe across the line and chunks it off the inside edge into his back thigh
17.5
1
Pretorius to Miller, 1 run
searing yorker on middle and off. Miller jams down on it in time and digs it out into the on side
17.4
4
Pretorius to Miller, FOUR runs
wow, what timing, what placement and what precision! Shortish outside off. Miller rises with the bounce and crrrrrrrrunnnnnnnnchhhhhesssss it between long off and deep cover!
17.3
2
Pretorius to Miller, 2 runs
slower ball on a full length outside off. Miller steps forward and drills it past extra cover for another brace
17.2
1
Pretorius to Root, 1 run
shortish on off, Root opens up his stance and heaves it towards deep mid wicket
17.1
2
Pretorius to Root, 2 runs
in the air, in the air and put down at long on! Zipped in full on leg stump. Root drop-kicks it uppishly towards long on. Ackerman tears across to his right, puts in the dive but cannot quite hold on. He got both hands to it and that could be a big moment in the game
27 off 18. The Capitals need to break this partnership to make the rest of the chase nervy. Can Pretorius provide that breakthrough?
end of over 1713 runs
PR: 186/2CRR: 10.94 • RRR: 9.00 • Need 27 runs from 18b
Joe Root82 (51b 10x4 2x6)
David Miller31 (17b 2x4 2x6)
Tiaan van Vuuren 3-0-42-0
Eathan Bosch 3-0-27-0
16.6
1
van Vuuren to Root, 1 run
back of a length outside off. Root goes back and across before hoicking it towards deep mid wicket
16.5
2
van Vuuren to Root, 2 runs
full and wide outside off. Root leans into the drive and scorches it towards deep cover for a couple of runs
16.4
4
van Vuuren to Root, FOUR runs
inside edge but they all count! Slower ball on a full length outside off. Root has an agricultural swipe at it and squirts it away past short fine leg!
16.3
1
van Vuuren to Miller, 1 run
back of a length on the stumps. Miller waits for it and turns it towards deep mid wicket
Chris: "If this past month has taught us anything its that there's still a place in t20 cricket for elite players like Joe Root and Steve Smith. "
16.2
4
van Vuuren to Miller, FOUR runs
four more! Speared in full on the pads. Miller knows deep square leg is quite square and uses the pace to glance it away to the fielder's left!
16.1
1
van Vuuren to Root, 1 run
slow and short outside off. Root reaches out for it and cuts it towards deep point
40 off 24. Ten runs per over needed with eight wickets in hand and with two set batters at the crease. Royals' game to lose from here. Van Vuuren now. Over the wicket
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Win Probability
PR 100%
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Over 20 • PR 213/2
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