Phew! Unbelievable scenes, simply unbelievable stuff on display. From being 7/5 with their backs completely against the wall, it’s almost impossible to imagine how a side can mount such a fightback. Immense credit must go to Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford for the outstanding innings they produced, giving the Capitals’ bowlers something to defend. It was a truly extraordinary rescue act from the Capitals, nothing short of stunning. With this memorable win, they climb to the top of the points table, and it also keeps the playoff hopes alive for the Durban Super Giants, along with JSK and MICT, who still have a game in hand.
For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Manan Mehta who, along with scorer/analyst Raju Khariya & statistician Aman brought all the updates of this clash. A special word of thanks as well to Mohammad Anab and Saptak Sanyal for their valuable contributions behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYE👋
Sherfane Rutherford (Player of the Match): "It's definitely one of my best innings. I will put it right up there. It was a pretty tough wicket. The ball was doing a lot. What was important for me was to keep the process simple, bat as long as I can and spend time in the middle. That's exactly what I did.
(On his partnership with Brevis) I think tonight wasn't anything different for us. The conversation between us was basically strong and short. We were just trying to play safe shots. We wanted to run a lot and keep rotating strikes. We couldn't take much risks as we lost so many wickets at the start. I knew that if Brevis & me stay till the end, what damage we can do.
For me, it's very difficult but for Dewald it's easy. He doesn't like looking at the scorecard but it's difficult for me. In my mind, I was looking at 150. 144 was a pretty decent score and gave our bowlers a good chance to defend the score.
It's definitely not easy. These tough situations get the better out of me. It's something that I enjoy. For me, I feel very good off myself.
I will definitely go for batting as long as I can in the middle rather than coming out in the end and playing cameos. I love to try and adapt to the situations which allows me to play my best cricket."
Player of the Match: Sherfane Rutherford
Keshav Maharaj (Pretoria Capitals Captain): "Actually I have been in an amateur game when we were 13/6 and ended up winning the three-day game. However, nothing like this have I ever seen in T20 cricket. Amazing the way the boys stood up. Brevis and Sherfane put us in a good position and as a captain I can't ask for anything more in terms of character.
Yeah at the start it was pretty quiet. The wickets kept on falling. The wicket was pretty tacky. However, we always knew if we get one partnership that can take us to 130-40. We can give ourselves a chance with the ball to defend it.
At 7/5 we would have taken a 100 as well. That is why a lot of credit to how Brevis and Sherfane read the situation and got us out of that. At the 15 over mark, we thought 150 can be a match winning total. The wicket was not getting any better. It was just getting slower and we exploited that.
I mean yeah 140 is not a very high score but a defendable one on this wicket if you get early wickets. It was an iffy start for us with the ball. However, post the time out we really got things going our way. All the bowlers luckily responded, and it helped.
See there was a lot of help in the wicket, so I didn't really have to try much myself. The fielding has been excellent from our side all tournament. Yes, we have dropped a few but on the overall it is pretty good.
Yeah pretty good to be on the top of the table. I think we still haven't played our best cricket. However, to sneak out a win on a wicket like this gives great confidence. We have a chance to finish in the top two and we will be eyeing that."
1:12 AM IST & 9:42 PM Local Time: Time for the Post-Match Presenation!
Lowest Totals Defended in SA20:
125/10 – Pretoria Capitals vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Centurion, 2024
138/9 – Pretoria Capitals vs Paarl Royals, Paarl, 2026
140/4 – Paarl Royals vs Pretoria Capitals, Paarl, 2025
142/9 – MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals, Paarl, 2023
143/6 - Pretoria Capitals vs Joburg Super Kings, Johannesburg, 2026*
145/8 – Durban Super Giants vs Joburg Super Kings, Durban, 2024
Economical Figures for Pretoria Capitals in SA20 (4-Overs):
1/10 – Adil Rashid vs Durban Super Giants, Durban, 2023 (2.50)
1/11 – Roston Chase vs Joburg Super Kings, Johannesburg, 2026 (2.75)*
3/12 – Anrich Nortje vs Joburg Super Kings, Centurion, 2023 (3.00)
3/12 – Senuran Muthusamy vs Durban Super Giants, Durban, 2023 (3.00)
1/13 – Adil Rashid vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, (3.25)
Donovan Ferreira (Joburg Super Kings Captain): "I am not really sure about the shoulder. I will have a scan in the morning and take it from there.
Yeah, we obviously continued to attack with seam after having them 7/5. However, credit to both Brevis and Sherfane on how they played. It is not easy to play on a wicket like that when you don't really know what you are going to get. I don't think the wicket was really good.
The score they got to, I think it was something we could have chased. We got off to a good start. However, Keshav and Chase pulled things back for them. With a score like that to chase, you just need one guy to get a good score, but we couldn't find that today.
Yeah, it is just about sticking to the tactical play. We know that the wicket in Paarl is a spinning one. A lot of fours get hit over there so it is just about assessing the conditions. It is about getting your game plan right. This is a thick and fast tournament so not a lot of time to think. It is just about getting your plans right."
1 AM IST & 9:30 PM Local Time: That's it! This match will surely go down as one of the greatest comebacks in SA20 history. From the depths of despair at 7/5 in the first innings, the Capitals have produced a remarkable turnaround, showing immense character and class to clinch a stunning 21-run victory here in Johannesburg. The celebrations will be even louder in Durban, as this result keeps the Durban Super Giants very much alive in the tournament.
Earlier in the day, JSK won the toss and decided to bowl first and the conditions could not have suited them better. There was a light drizzle around when the match began, creating ideal conditions for seam bowling and the JSK bowlers made full use of it. They were also helped by some horrendous batting from the Capitals’ top order, who completely crumbled under pressure. The Capitals suffered a nightmare start, losing wickets at regular intervals, with four of their top six batters dismissed for ducks, leaving them reeling at a shocking 7/5 after just 5 overs.
From that point on, Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford staged a remarkable rescue act for the Pretoria Capitals. The pair first weathered the early storm from the JSK bowlers and then shifted gears beautifully in the second half of the innings. They put together a crucial 103-run partnership off 74 balls for the sixth wicket, swinging the momentum firmly in the Capitals’ favour. In fact, they were the only two batters to reach double figures, with Brevis scoring 53 off 47 balls and Rutherford finishing unbeaten on a superb 74 off 50. Thanks to their efforts, the Capitals managed to post a fighting total of 143/6, with Daniel Worrall and Wiaan Mulder picking up two wickets apiece for JSK.
In reply, JSK failed to get off to a solid start with the bat. Rivaldo Moonsamy struggled to get going and was dismissed for 1 off 9 balls.James Vince and Leus du Plooy then steadied things slightly with a 26-run stand for the second wicket, taking JSK to 40/1 at the end of the powerplay. However, once the field spread, the Capitals took complete control of the game. Keshav Maharaj was sensational, striking three times in his first spell as he bowled three overs on the trot and ripped through the JSK middle order. Roston Chase provided excellent support from the other end, keeping things tight and building the pressure with disciplined bowling.
From a steady 40/1, JSK suffered a dramatic collapse and slipped to 68/6, leaving their chase in complete tatters. To compound their misery, skipper Donovan Ferreira walked off the field after facing just one delivery, still struggling with his left shoulder after picking up an injury on the final ball of the first innings. Keshav Maharaj marshalled his troops magnificently, leading from the front and applying relentless pressure. The match went right down to the final over, but the Capitals kept their nerve under pressure and sealed a stunning 21-run victory. 3 wickets apiece for Lizaad Williams (3/25) and Keshav Maharaj (3/15). Stay tuned for the Post-Match Presentation!