de Zorzi, Hermann carry Sunrisers Eastern Cape to third SA20 final

Sunrisers Eastern Cape booked their place in the SA20 final with an eight-wicket win over Paarl Royals at Centurion. The two-time defending champions chased down 176 with four balls to spare, keeping their unbeaten playoff record intact and setting up a showdown with MI Cape Town in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Tony de Zorzi and Jordan Hermann put together a match-winning 111-run partnership for the second wicket, taking Sunrisers into a dominant position. De Zorzi played a fluent knock of 78 before falling to Dunith Wellalage but Hermann remained composed, finishing unbeaten on 69 alongside captain Aiden Markram (11*).

Earlier, Paarl Royals, having opted to bat first, relied on a strong second-wicket stand of 99 between Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Rubin Hermann. Pretorius played a steady hand with 59 off 41 balls, while Hermann delivered his highest SA20 score, smashing an unbeaten 81 from 53 deliveries. Andile Phehlukwayo added a quickfire 22 off 11 balls in the death overs, pushing the Royals to a competitive 175/4.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape will aim for a historic third consecutive SA20 title as they prepare to face MI Cape Town in the grand final.

Brief Scores:
Paarl Royals 175/4 (Hermann 81*, Pretorius 59; Craig Overton 1-24, Markram 1-24) lost to Sunrisers Eastern Cape 177/2 (de Zorzi 78, Hermann 69*; Wellalage 1-26) by 8 wickets