Durban's Super Giants players celebrate a wicket during their SA20 clash against Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead in Durban on Tuesday Durban's Super Giants players celebrate a wicket during their SA20 clash against Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead in Durban on Tuesday. Photo: Rogan Ward/Sportzpics
Career-best figures of 5/26 from Junior Dala and another half century from Matthew Breetzke helped Durban's Super Giants to a nine run victory over the Pretoria Capitals in the Betway SA20 on Tuesday.
Dala's five wicket haul proved to be the difference as the Super Giants marched to a seventh win of the group phase and consolidated their spot at the top of the log.
Keshav Maharaj won the toss and chose to bat first in front of another impressive crowd in Durban.
The Super Giants lost the wicket of Tony de Zorzi in the second over of the innings for eight before Matthew Breetzke took the attack to the Capitals bowlers.
The opener and Quinton de Kock put on a partnership of 61 runs of which the latter contributed 16.
De Kock was the second wicket to fall with the score on 76 at the end of the seventh over.
Heinrich Klaasen then joined the firing Breetzke as the pair continued the onslaught into the 12th over.
On 73 from just 46 balls Breetzke hit a Senuran Muthusamy delivery to Eathan Bosch at long-off to add a second half century to his tournament tally.
Keemo Paul lasted two deliveries before he also holed out, this time to Colin Ackermann at long-on for a duck.
Klaasen became Muthusamy's third victim when he chipped one to Rilee Rossouw at extra cover for 30 off 18 balls as the Super Giants faltered slightly at 133 for five in the fourteenth over.
Unfortunately for the Super Giants Wiaan Mulder couldn't get the side going again and was caught behind off the bowling of Daryn Dupavillon for two.
With five overs to go in their innings DSG were 136 for six, from the halfway stage they added 29 runs for the loss of four wickets.
There was a partnership between Jon-Jon Smuts and Keshav Maharaj that got to 23 before Maharaj was caught and bowled by Dupavillon for eight in the penultimate over.
Junior Dala fell in the same over for a duck as the Super Giants slid to 159 for eight after nineteen overs.
In the final over Smuts hit the first ball off Parnell for four but the Super Giants lost Noor Ahmad off the third ball which brought number eleven Naveen-ul-Haq to the crease.
The seamer missed his first ball, but proceeded to hit a four and a six off the last two balls of the innings to take the Super Giants to 174 for nine in their 20 overs.
Junior Dala produced a spectacular catch at deep point to dismiss Phil Salt off the second delivery of the chase off the bowling of Wiaan Mulder.
The second wicket partnership was worth 40 and looked dangerous before Ul-Haq got in on the act and the Kyle Verreynne chopped the ball onto his stumps for 17 off 16 balls.
Capitals opener Will Jacks hit two sixes and five fours on his way to 41 off 26 balls, but his innings was ended by a Dala delivery that beat the bat and cannoned into the stumps. At the loss of their third wicket the Capitals were on 75 in the ninth over.
14 runs later the Super Giants had their fourth wicket, it was Dala again who picked up his second wicket when he bowled Colin Ackerman for seven.
Colin Ingram added ten off seven balls and was trying to build a partnership with Rossouw, but he was bowled through the gate by left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad. At the loss of their fifth wicket, the Capitals were on 103 in the fourteenth over of the chase.
A brilliant piece of fielding from Breetzke at mid-off saw his direct hit catch Muthusamy short of his ground for nine as the complexion of the game shifted into the home sides favour.
The pressure from the home side built which led to the wicket of Rossouw for a laboured ten off 27 balls. At the loss of Rossouw the Capitals were 123 for seven, needing 52 runs from 22 balls.
Dala came back to bowl his last over in the penultimate and bagged his fourth wicket when Wayne Parnell was caught at short third man and then he took his fifth wicket in the same over when he bowled Eathan Bosch.
The seamer finished his spell with 5/26 from his four overs as his last over left the Capitals 146 for nine going into the final over, needing 29 runs to win.
Keemo Paul's last over went for 20, however that was enough for the home side who claimed a nine run win as the Capitals finished on 166/9 in their 20 overs.
Durban's Super Giants will play the Joburg Super Kings in their final group match at the Wanderers on Saturday, 3 February.
Scorecard
Durban's Super Giants 174/9 (M Breetzke 73 H Klaasen 30)
Pretoria Capitals 166/9 (W Jacks 41 J Dala 5/26)
Durban’s Super Giants won by nine runs
Gameplan Media