Rubin Hermann scored an unbeaten 59 © Sportzpics Paarl Royals finished the home leg of the SA20 2025 with a fifth win in as many games and extended their lead at the top of the points table. On a sluggish surface, they handed Durban Super Giants their sixth defeat of the season that put to end their faint hopes of making it to the playoffs. They remain rooted to the bottom of the table. The Super Giants lost their way soon after opting to bat first. Openers Quinton de Kock and Brandon King were both snuffed out inside the PowerPlay while Bryce Parsons was dismissed right after it. From 33/3, the Super Giants were carried forward by Marcus Stoinis and Kane Williamson through a 53-run stand off 38 deliveries. Bjorn Fortuin broke that with the wicket of Williamson in the 13th over, and four overs later, Heinrich Klaasen was dismissed for a 14-ball 13 by Kwena Maphaka. Stonis, who scored his maiden SA20 fifty, took on Joe Root at the death to collect 20 runs off an over. Super Giants managed 47 runs off the last five overs to reach 143/7. Off-spinner Subayen gave his team hopes of defending the score by trapping the leading run-getter of the season – Root – leg before on the first ball of the chase. But Pretorius and Rubin Hermann stitched a 91-run second-wicket stand to put their team back on track. Hermann went on to score a half-century before falling for a 51-ball 59 in the 13th over. Keshav Maharaj then cleaned up Pretorius in the 15th over to keep the game on knife’s edge as Royals had to continue their chase without skipper David Miller, who left the field during the first innings with a hamstring issue. Dinesh Karthik then stepped up with a quick-fire 21 off 15 that eased the pressure on the Royals, who needed 24 off the last 18 balls. Karthik spearheaded a 10-run Stoinis over and then pulled JJ Smuts for a six in the 19th to narrow the equation before departing in the same over. His mini-assault left Royals just six to get off the last over, which they did on the penultimate ball of the chase. Brief Scores:Durban Super Giants 143/7 in 20 overs (Marcus Stoinis 55*, Kane Williamson 45; Bjorn Fortuin 2-20, Kwena Maphaka 2-22) lost to Paarl Royals 147/4 in 19.5 overs (Rubin Hermann 59*, Lhuan-dre Pretorius 43; Prenelan Subreyan 1-26) by 6 wickets
