• JSK hold nerve to secure playoff spot

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    The Joburg Super Kings booked their place in the SA20 playoffs with a 44-run against the Paarl Royals at Boland Park on Monday.

    With a win required to finish fourth, Leus du Plooy stepped up and blazed an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls (five fours, three sixes) to push the visitors up to 166-5 after 32 runs were added in the final two overs.

    Du Plooy, who replaced the injured Faf du Plessis, turned the game on its head when he bludgeoned Waqar Salamkheil, the Royals’ best bowler to that point, for two sixes and a four before Dian Forrester smashed a further maximum off the final ball of the penultimate over.

    It swung the game dramatically in favour of JSK, who had struggled to generate momentum into their innings after solid but not impactful contributions from Neil Timmers (37 off 39 balls), Michael Pepper and Matthew de Villiers (both 27 off 23 balls).

    The Royals were shellshocked by the onslaught and stumbled throughout their run-chase, which was hampered by the absence of captain David Miller through a groin injury.

    JSK spin duo Prenelan Subrayen (3-14) and Imran Tahir (2-17) then beat the Royals at their own game. The spin duo exploited the conditions magnificently to deliver a spin class with their cumulative seven overs yielding five wickets for just 31 runs.

    Lhuan-dre Pretorius (32 off 25 balls) tried valiantly at the top of the order with before Dan Lawrence (45 off 29 balls) kept the flames burning, but the Royals could only muster 122 all out.

    The Sunrisers Eastern Cape finished top of the log with 28 points and will face the second-placed Pretoria Capitals (24) in the first qualifier playoff at Kingsmead on Wednesday. The winner will progress to the final at Newlands on Sunday.

    The Royals (24) and JSK (22) will meet in the eliminator at Centurion on Thursday, with the winner facing the loser of the first playoff qualifier in the second playoff qualifier at the Wanderers on Friday.

    Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics

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    Dylan Johnson