Lhuan-dre Pretorius of Paarl Royals pulls a delivery. Sportspics
Amid all the stars on display for Paarl Royals, it was local talent Lhuan-dre Pretorius who shone brightest at Boland Park in relegating defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a second consecutive SA20 defeat.
The swashbuckling opening batter hit 10 fours and six sixes in his knock of 93, at a strike rate of 190, as the Royals chased down the Sunrisers’ score of 175-5 for the loss of one wicket on Saturday afternoon.
The 18-year-old dispatched the Sunrisers attack to all parts of the ground that was bathed in glorious sunshine with a mixture of pulls, cover drives, cuts, reverse sweeps and switch hits.
A particularly memorable shot (you can take your pick) was when he dropped down on one knee to smash left-arm spinner Liam Dawson 88m over deep extra cover in the ninth over, but few of the Sunrisers bowlers were spared.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer was cut for four and his next delivery was deposited into the crowd on the leg side, while Ottniel Baartman also got cut and pulled for another huge six.
It was a Royals innings that was also rooted in the performance of England skipper Joe, who was the perfect foil for Pretorious with his contribution of 60 runs not out off 42 balls. Their stand of 100 all but broke the back of the Sunrisers.
Root was the personification of calm and measured shot-making as he used his experience to lead the side home with consummate ease, chasing down a tricky total (note to Pretoria Capitals).
“Batting with Root gave some clarity and it was amazing,” man-of-the-match Pretorious told SuperSport after the match.
The defending champions must have felt they were in with a chance of erasing their opening day humbling against MI Cape Town after skipper Aiden Markram had won the toss and chosen to bat first.
Bjorn Fortuin opened the bowling for the hosts and Jordan Herman drove him through the covers for four off his first ball.
Teenage tearaway Kwena Maphaka seemed to have settled into a good line and length, until he was driven down the ground by opener Zak Crawley off his third ball. He did well to recover as he dialled back the pace, a lesson that served him well for the rest of an innings where the slower bowlers were most effective.
But Crawley spoiled the youngster’s figures with a six over deep square followed by an even bigger one over deep midwicket.
Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (27-2) was the pick of the Paarl Royals bowlers, while fellow spinner Bjorn Fortuin was equally miserly, without taking any wickets.
The Sunrisers seemed to be cruising along when wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik took an excellent catch behind off Mujeeb’s bowling to dismiss Zak Crawley for 27 (38-1) after a thick outside edge. Mujeeb also accounted for Jordan Hermann two balls later, caught by Root at midwicket.
Tom Abell was run out by Lungi Ngidi with the score on 69-3 in the ninth over before Markram set about rebuilding the innings with Tristan Stubbs who, for once, did not play the part of aggressor.
Markram was particularly severe on seamer Dayyaan Galiem, taking 15 runs off him in the 15th over with two fours. He would reach his 50 off 33 balls in the 16th over before again punishing Galiem in the 19th over who was trying to keep the ball wide off off-stump when he was hit for a straight six and lofted over long on for another.
The skipper was eventually caught by Sam Hain for 82, attempting another lofted drive off a slower ball by Maphaka. Stubbs finished on 28 not out.
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