Twitter Reactions: Faf du Plessis and Grant Thomson take Paarl Rocks home in a close game

Paarl Rocks have kept their playoff hopes alive with a close win over the second-placed Jozi Stars. Faf du Plessis and Grant Thomson slammed half-centuries in the nervy chase and though the things went close in the end, the latter kept his nerves and the veteran Dwayne Bravo thumped a couple of game-changing sixes to end the contest. With his victory, the fight for the third place has gotten ever so close and it will be interesting to see who makes it to the eliminator final with three teams in the reckoning.

Chasing the total of 171 runs in a must-win game, Paarl Rocks lost their openers Aiden Markram and Cameron Delport within the third over itself and at 19/2, the tournament looked over for them. But the man of the crisis for them, their skipper Faf du Plessis and Thomson joined hands to stitch a useful partnership. Du Plessis, after gauging the pace of the pitch, took the attack to the opposition bowlers and scored 61 off just 34 balls.

The partnership of 120 runs in less than 13 overs kept them in the driver’s seat in the whole chase. But Du Plessis as pinned in front of the stumps by Daniel Christian and then came the twist in the tail. Patrick Kruger was also sent back in the next over and with Bravo struggling to connect the ball, the equation came down to 22 off the last two overs.

But Thomson and Bravo made sure that the hard work done earlier in the chase was not undone and gunned down the total with three deliveries to spare as the Rocks stay alive in the tournament.

Dussen special propels Stars

After being invited to bat first by the visitors, Chris Gayle and Reeza Hendricks couldn’t give their team a start and were left reeling at 18/2 in the fourth over. But Rassie van der Dussen took it upon himself to score runs. He stitched small partnerships throughout the innings and slammed an unbeaten 83 off just 55 balls with six fours and four massive sixes.

His blitz helped the Jozi Stars post a competitive total of 170 runs for the loss of six wickets but the score wasn’t enough for them to register their fifth consecutive win of the tournament.

Here’s how Twitter reacted during the match: