Paarl Royals vs Joburg Super Kings Preview
The Royals lost their last group match at home to the Super Kings, but I'm expecting revenge in this one. It is everything on the line in this playoff clash and Paarl are backed to progress.
- Paarl Royals’ Dan Lawrence has scored 63, 41 & 45 in his last 4 innings.
- Paarl Royals’ Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored 32 off 25 balls against the Super Kings.
- Joburg Super Kings’ Leus du Plooy has scored 22 and 54* in his last 2 innings.
- Joburg Super Kings’ Michael Pepper has scored 72, 21 & 27 in his last 5 innings.
Head-to-Head
Paarl Royals have won one and lost three of their last five SA20 matches against Joburg Super Kings. One match was rained-off.
Paarl Royals Form
After picking up back-to-back wins, the Royals suffered defeats to the Super Giants (58 runs) and the Super Kings (44 runs) in their last two group matches.
Dan Lawrence is the Royals’ in-form batter, scoring 63, 41 and 45 in his last four matches. Rubin Hermann stepped up to the plate for the Royals by scoring 35, 65* and 46 in his last five matches.
After five failures in a row Lhuan-dre Pretorius showed signs of a return to form in time for the playoffs when he scored 32 off 25 balls against the Super Kings.
Ottneil Baartman has taken 4/51, 2/8, 5/16 and 1/35 and is three wickets clear at the top of the wickets list with 17 at an average of 12.52.
Sikandar Raza’s superb season with the ball has taken him to joint second place on the wickets list with 14 victims at an economy rate of 7.36.
Nqobani Mokoena is fifth on the wickets list with 12 wickets and has figures of 4/34, 2/10 and 2/56 this season.
Joburg Super Kings Form
The Super Kings bounced back from three defeats on the trot to beat the Royals by 44 runs in their last group match of the season.
The Super Kings’ season has been ravaged by series-ending injuries to their skipper Faf du Plessis and then his replacement Donovan Ferreira, both of whom are key batters. They have also been low on runs this season, with James Vince (216 runs, S/R 151.04) their only batter to pass 172 runs.
Richard Gleeson is the Super Kings’ leading bowler with nine victims, including figures of 3/2 and 3/41 in his last four minutes. Prenelan Subrayen took 3/14 in the Super Kings’ vital win over the Royals in their last group match.
Team News
Paarl Royals skipper David Miller is a doubt for the Eliminator after picking up a groin injury fielding during the defeat to the Super Kings, which left the Royals a batter short in their run chase.
Paarl Royals (possible XI): Kyle Verreynne (w), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Rubin Hermann, Dan Lawrence, David Miller (c), Sikandar Raza, Delano Potgieter, Hardus Viljoen, Waqar Salamkheil, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman.
Joburg Super Kings (possible XI): James Vince, Rivaldo Moonsamy (w), Matthew De Villiers, Leus du Plooy, Wiaan Mulder, Donovan Ferreira (c), Dian Forrester, Duan Jansen, Akeal Hosein, Daniel Worrall, Nandre Burger.