SA20 2023: Pretoria Capitals go top after doing the double over Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Wayne Parnell's Pretoria Capitals defeated Sunrisers Eastern Cape for a second game running to become the first team to two victories in the ongoing SA20. Aiden Markram would be glad they won't be facing the Capitals in the league stage anymore as his side were completely outplayed for a second successive time. The win was set up in the first innings itself when Pretoria Capital posted a mammoth total of 216 on the back of a swashbuckling 92 from Will Jacks.

Even though the surface was quite flat, The Sunrisers needed to compile a herculean effort to chase the daunting total set by Pretoria Capitals. Wayne Parnell, who was dismissed for a golden duck earlier in the match, led from the front with the ball, dismissing Sarel Erwee and Jordan Cox on his second and third delivery of the match.

Despite losing two early wickets, the Sunrisers were still in the hunt, thanks to their skipper Aiden Markram, who was playing a blinder. But the batting ace eventually succumbed to the pressure as there wasn't much support from the other end. Marco Jansen and Brydon Carse did stitch together an explosive partnership at the death, but it was only to reduce the margin of defeat.

Will Jacks and Theunis de Bruyn went berserk against the Sunrisers' bowlers

Earlier in the match, Sunrisers' Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to field first on a batting paradise at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Although Pretoria Capitals lost last match's hero Phil Salt in the second over of the match, his opening partner Will Jacks was slaughtering the bowlers from the other end. He continued with his assault despite the dismissal of veteran batter Rilee Rossouw in the fifth over.

Sunrisers were looking to claw their way back into the match, but their hopes were dashed when Jacks and Theunis de Bruyn went into overdrive. They spared no bowler in their blistering 111 runs stand for the third wicket in just 54 deliveries. While de Bruyn fell for a 23 ball 42 his batting partner fell just eight short of an incredible ton, the first of the league after he was dismissed by Marco Jansen in the 15th over.

Markram's bowlers did pull things back to some extent, but the Capitals were relentless with the bat, racing to 216 in their 20 overs, the highest score by any team so far. Marco Jansen and Sisanda Magala were the only bowlers who escaped punishment during the carnage in the first innings.