Middle-order batter Sikandar Raza bashed a David Wiese delivery over the ropes from the last ball of the match.
The Paarl Royals climbed to second place in the SA20 standings on Tuesday night, positioning themselves comfortably in the race for the playoffs, while Durban’s Super Giants saw their hopes fade in their penultimate game of the league stage as they remained stranded in fifth position.
In a last-ball thriller at Boland Park, the Royals needed two runs to win off the final ball of the match, and middle-order batter Sikandar Raza bashed a David Wiese delivery over the ropes, lifting the home fans to their feet as they celebrated the six-wicket win.
Paarl Royals innings
Chasing 187 runs for victory, the Royals were anchored by Dan Lawrence and Rubin Hermann who shared 106 runs for the third wicket.
Lawrence made 63 off 41 deliveries, and after he was dismissed in the 15th over when he was caught by Evan Jones trying to knock an Eathan Bosch delivery over deep point, Hermann went on to contribute an unbeaten 65 off 45 as the hosts reached 191/4.
Bosch was the best of the Super Giants bowlers, taking 2/29 as the visitors put up a fight to the death, albeit in a losing cause.
Super Giants innings
Earlier after being sent in to bat, the Super Giants were held together by captain Aiden Markram, who made 66 off 46 at the top of the order.
And though he eventually fell in the 17th over when seam bowler Nqobani Mokoena had him caught behind by Lhuan-dre Pretorius, the skipper was well backed, with four other players in the visiting team’s line-up scoring more than 20 runs each.
Middle-order batter Liam Livingstone was particularly impressive, hitting 32 not out off 10 deliveries in an innings which included four sixes, as he lifted the Durban side to 186/5.
Afghan spin bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman led the Royals bowling attack, taking 2/22 from his four overs, and while Mokoena was far more expensive, he also took two wickets, returning 2/56.
Next up, the Royals will face the Pretoria Capitals in Centurion on Thursday, and the struggling Super Giants play their last round-robin match in their return fixture against the Royals in Durban on Saturday.
