SA20 2025: Paarl Royals Beat MI Cape Town In Last-Ball Thriller

Hyderabad: In a SA20 clash between Paarl Royals and MI Cape Town that went down the wire on Friday, the former emerged triumphant by one run. Paarl held their nerve at the Boland Park to clinch a victory in a tense game.

Ottneil Baartman was defending 15 overs in the final over, and he picked two crucial wickets of Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada. Thanks to his tidy bowling, the equation was reduced to the batting team needing six runs from the last ball to win. George Linde lofted a delivery wide outside off stump over backward point, but it fell short of the boundary rope, and MI Cape Town were unable to get over the finish line.

The visitors made a strong start in the chase as the opening duo of Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen amassed 64 runs from the powerplay. However, the team faield to continue the momentum after Rickelton (36) and Dussen’s (59) departure and were reduced to 122/6 ahead of the last five overs.

Rashid Khan smacked some big hits in the death overs, but his carnage wasn’t enough to guide the team over the finish line.

Earlier in the match, Lhuan-dre Pretorius played a brilliant knock of an unbeaten 98 from just 65 deliveries with two sixes. Asa Tribe also played an impressive knock of 51 runs from 34 deliveries. The significant knock from these two ensured a total of 181/3 for Paarl Royals while batting first. Rashid Khan picked up two wickets for MICT.

It was the third loss of the tournament for MI Cape Town, and they remain at the bottom of the points table with no victories so far from the four matches they have played. Paarl are at the third spot in the points table with eight points at a net run rate of -2.215.