Sunrisers 'desperate' to book top playoff spot after close defeat to Durban's Super Giants

Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach Adrian Birrell has stressed that his team remains steadfast on finishing in the top two after the Betway SA20 group stages.

The two-times champions currently top the table with 19 points with three matches remaining - Paarl Royals have four - but stumbled against Durban’s Super Giants in a thriller at St George’s Park on Sunday. 

The victory would have ensured qualification for the playoffs and entrenched their position at the summit, but now they have allowed the chasing park to close in with just four points separating first and fourth. 

The two sides finishing first and second after the group stages are assured of a place in Qualifier 1 at Kingsmead on Wednesday, 21 January with a possible straight entry to the final at Newlands. 

“It was never going to be easy. You look around, I mean, this team is a formidable team, DSG, that we played against. I would say that we're also a good team. And we're going to play Joburg (Super Kings) and then we're going to play Mumbai twice,” Birrell said.

“So, there are no easy games and we never got ahead of ourselves. There was no complacency whatsoever. We always knew it was going to be tricky and it was just to get into the playoffs and then to try and get to the top two.

“But we're desperate to try and get into the playoffs. And we came close in this game to get there. But we were under pressure most of this game.

“But to lose by a small margin, I'm very proud of how we fought. And that shows how much it means to us to try and get over the line, to get that final win, to ensure the playoffs and then hopefully try and make a run for the top two. But we're not in there yet and everyone's in this.”

Birrell is not about to throw the baby out with the bath water after just the second defeat of the competition and believes there were plenty of learnings to take forward into the last three matches.

"There was some good cricket played and some not-so-good cricket played from both sides. At halftime, I would have taken that score. I think we did very well to get to that score,” he said.

“We struggled most of that innings.  I think we struggled to get partnerships going. We lost a few wickets and then we were able to capitalise at the end in the last three overs.

“We did very well with the partnership that was in. (Tristan) Stubbs and (Lewis) Gregory got us to a defendable total. 

“But then 71 runs in the Powerplay are a lot of runs and to fight back from there and only lose with the last few balls, I'm quite proud of the fight that we had.

“It is a tricky venue to chase, but I think that we just couldn't pull it back enough, although we tried very hard. But 71 in the Powerplay really hurt us.”

The Sunrisers host Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday evening at St George’s Park before back-to-back encounters against MI Cape Town that will determine their fate.