Pretoria Capitals Aim for Top-Three After Big Away Win
Pretoria Capitals next face Paarl Royals away in what will be their first meeting this season. They then take on bottom-placed MI Cape Town before facing Paarl again.
After 6 matches, Pretoria have 2 wins, 1 no result and sit fourth on the table with a net run rate of -0.223. Durban are fifth with an NRR of -0.967, while MI Cape Town sit last at -1.810 after 6 games. Both Durban and MICT have just 1 win so far in the tournament.
A win against Paarl could lift Pretoria into the top three, replacing the Royals on net run rate. Paarl currently have an NRR of -1.070, the second-lowest in the league. However, they have played only 4 matches and come into the fixture in strong form, having won their last 3 games after losing the season opener.
Shai Hope Hits Pretoria Capitals’ Biggest Century
Pretoria delivered a complete performance against Durban, led by a remarkable innings from Shai Hope. The West Indies batter smashed an unbeaten 118, setting multiple records.
Hope’s knock is now Pretoria Capitals’ highest individual score in SA20, surpassing Kyle Verreynne’s 116. He also broke the franchise record for most runs in boundaries in an innings (90), overtaking Will Jacks’ 86.
The 118* is also the highest individual score in SA20 history and Hope’s personal best in T20 cricket, achieved in his 200th T20 match.
He became the second centurion of the season. He single-handedly carried Pretoria to a total of 201, with the next best score being 37 from his opening partner, Connor Esterhuizen. The duo scored 101 runs in 11 overs at the top of the Capitals’ batting order.
Highest individual scores in SA20 history:
- 118* (69) – Shai Hope (PC) vs DSG, 2026
- 116* (52) – Kyle Verreynne (PC) vs MICT, 2024
- 113* (58) – Faf du Plessis (JSK) vs DSG, 2023
- 113 (63) – Ryan Rickelton (MICT) vs DSG, 2025
The match also saw a few firsts in SA20 history. Roston Chase was retired out strategically on 24 off 15 balls with 10 deliveries left. This was the first instance of a player retiring out in SA20 history. A decent score but not good enough for modern T20s. The next batter in, Sherfane Rutherford fell for a two-ball duck, but Dewald Brevis struck 2 sixes to push the total past 200.
SA20’s First Hat-trick
While defending 201, Pretoria found themselves under pressure late in the chase. Durban needed 42 off 17 balls, with Jos Buttler unbeaten on 74 with David Wiese at the crease, who is a handy batter.
Then came the turning point. Lungi Ngidi produced the first hat-trick in SA20 history in the 18th over, dismissing Wiese, Sunil Narine and Gerald Coetzee. Durban briefly fought back as Buttler hit 6, 6, 2, 4 in the 19th over.
But with 18 needed off the final over, Roston Chase held his nerve. Buttler finished unbeaten on 97 but lost two partners to run-outs. Pretoria eventually won by 15 runs.
Pretoria Capitals rely on key performers
As they head into the clash against Paarl Royals, Pretoria will once again look to their key players for individual brilliance.
- Shai Hope leads both the team and the league with 206 runs at a strike rate of 158.46
- Connor Esterhuizen has scores of 52 and 37 since being promoted to open
- Sherfane Rutherford has 119 runs at a strike rate of 205.17
With the ball, Tymal Mills leads the attack with 5 wickets in 5 matches. Rutherford, Ngidi and Bryce Parsons have 4 wickets each, while Keshav Maharaj and Gideon Peters have 3 apiece.
With momentum back on their side, Pretoria Capitals now have a clear chance to break into the top half of the table. But Paarl Royals won’t go down without a fight.