In a pulsating SA20 game played on Wednesday night, Durban's Super Giants hosted the Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead.
West Indian star Shai Hope hit the highest score in SA20 history to help his team record an important win against Durban’s Super Giants in a match played on the east coast on Wednesday.
Opening the batting for the Capitals, Hope smashed 118 not out off 68 balls, to guide his side to a total of 201/4 in their 20 overs. The big hitter passed the previous highest score of 116 not out by Kyle Verreynne for the Capitals against MI Cape Town in season two.
While the home team gave it a good go in pursuit of 202 to win, they fell short by 15 runs, being bowled out for 186 with two balls remaining.
England’s Jos Buttler led the run-chase on his own with a scorching 97 not out off 52 balls with nine fours and five sixes and he was well-supported by Marques Ackermann, with 27 off 17, but no other batters could hang around long enough with Buttler to put any real pressure on the Capitals bowlers.
Kane Williamson got 12, Aiden Markram 16 and Heinrich Klaasen 17.
Hat trick for Ngidi
Capitals bowler Lungi Ngidi also became the first man to take a hat trick in SA20 cricket, removing David Wiese, Sunil Narine and Gerald Coetzee with consecutive balls in the 18th over. The Super Giants at one stage looked to be on track to threaten the Capitals’ total when they were 138/3.
Ngidi finished with 3/39 in four, while Gideon Peters took 3/35 on his four.
The win was an important one for the Capitals, who have now moved into fourth place on the log, behind leaders Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the Joburg Super Kings, and Paarl Royals.
Earlier, the Super Giants won the toss and elected to field first, a decision they would rue.
Hope led the assault with his swashbuckling 118 not out which included nine fours and nine sixes at a strike-rate of 171.
The 32-year-old Barbadian got good support from opener Connor Esterhuizen, who hit 37 off 28 balls, and fellow West Indian Roston Chase (24 off 15), before the latter retired out to allow big hitter Sherfane Rutherford to have a go. He was out for a two-ball duck while Dewald Brevis came in and hit two sixes and was then out for 12.
While Narine didn’t pick up a wicket, he was the best of the bowlers from Durban’s Super Giants, with figures of 0/22 in four.
DSG are back in action on Friday at home, against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, while the Capitals are in Paarl on Saturday against the Royals.
