David Miller late show clinches crucial win for Paarl Royals

Miller smashed three sixes in the 18th over of Paarl's innings to shift the momentum and take his side to victory

Gqeberha: Sunrisers Eastern Cape 130-7, Paarl Royals 131-5 - Paarl Royals win by five wickets

Scorecard

Brilliance from Paarl Royals captain David Miller ensured his side snuck over the line in a low-scoring affair against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Both teams were restricted by a brutal breeze and a slow pitch, but Miller's four late sixes – three in the 18th over of Royals' innings, bowled by Sisanda Magala – broke the spirit of Sunrisers, who had fought manfully until that point and looked like successfully defending a mediocre total.

Only JJ Smuts (65) got going for Sunrisers, but even he was forced to play a waiting game as wickets fell around him and the wind wreaked havoc.

Adam Rossington, Eastern Cape's hero of a few days earlier, was caught at mid-off in the first over as he hit against the breeze, with Jordan Hermann edging behind shortly afterwards.

Aiden Markram took a frustrated look at the pitch when he was bowled by a slower ball from Andile Phehlukwayo, playing his first game of the tournament and impressing. He also picked up Tristan Stubbs, caught at long-on as he took on the gale and lost.

^{David Miller was ther hero for Paarl (Sportzpics/CSA/SA20)}

Smuts missed a sweep to be trapped in front by Tabraiz Shamsi, James Fuller dragged on and Marco Jansen fell in similar fashion to Stubbs as Sunrisers struggled.

After Paarl's fast start in reply, the run-chase looked as though its back had been broken by Jos Buttler, who made 51 in the game's most fluent knock. But he was fourth out in a frantic middle-over spell that began when Jason Roy, whose torrid run continued with eight off 16 balls, miscued a slower ball to mid-off.

Wihan Lubbe then missed a reverse sweep off the excellent, evergreen Roelof van der Merwe, who then caught Mitchell van Buuren and bowled Buttler for what looked like a defining twist, particularly when Phehlukwayo departed cheaply two overs later.

But Miller, tasked with 30 runs to win off the final three overs, had other ideas. He nailed three huge sixes off Magala, with Dane Vilas – hobbling after sustaining a knee injury in the field – alongside him to offer an experienced hand as Royals picked up a crucial win that takes them level on points with Sunrisers.

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