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Jos Buttler and Lungi Ngidi steered Paarl Royals to a seven-wicket bonus point victory over Joburg Super Kings at Boland Park on Wednesday evening in their SA20 match.
The Royals maintained their 100 per cent record with their third consecutive victory, while the Super Kings remain winless after four matches. Unlike in previous matches at Boland Park where the spinners have dominated, it was the Royals seamers that set up this win. Obed McCoy (2/31) set the Royals in motion by removing Reeza Hendricks (8) before the impressive Ngidi got into the act in the final over of the powerplay. Ngidi, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, pegged back the Super Kings with wickets off successive balls when he clean-bowled Faf du Plessis (9) before having debutant Wayne Madsen (0) caught by Mitchell van Buuren at third man for a first-ball duck. Ngidi (3/17) failed to claim the first hat-trick of the competition when Moeen Ali defended the next ball, but returned in the death overs to claim his third wicket of the evening. The Super Kings also suffered three runouts, including that of top-scorer Leus du Plooy (71 off 43 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) to be dismissed for 134 in 19.5 overs. Royals wicket-keeper Buttler was pivotal to the run-outs as he threw down the stumps on two occasions with the Super Kings looking to steal a single. The Royals' run-chase was never in danger with Buttler masterminding the chase superbly with an undefeated 70 off 37 balls (eight fours and three sixes). The England skipper, who was the tournament's leading run-scorer in season one, looked in ominous form ahead of the weekend's derbies against MI Cape Town. Wihan Lubbe provided support with a 30-ball 39 (with two fours and three sixes) before veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir trapped him LBW. It, however, proved to be a mere consolation for the Super Kings as they now look to turn their season around in the Jukskei derbies against Pretoria Capitals. (ANI)
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