Miller helps Paarl Royals open account

David Miller led from the front with a crucial unbeaten half-century as Paarl Royals beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape to open their account in SA20 2025-26. After being bowled out for 49—the lowest total in the tournament's history—in their first game against the same opposition, Royals stuttered again in the run chase before a century stand turned the contest around.

Quinton de Kock, who fired in the last meeting, departed early this time, edging one to the keeper. Jonny Bairstow broke the shackles with three boundaries in the fourth over and added a few more before miscuing one in the final over of the powerplay to depart for a quickfire 33. Matthew Breetzke struggled as Royals pulled things back.

After Breetzke's departure, skipper Tristan Stubbs also failed to kick on. Jordan Hermann kept the innings afloat with vital boundaries. Sunrisers were well placed at 116/4 with five overs left, but wickets kept tumbling at the death. Nqobani Mokoena finished with a four-wicket haul, and Ottneil Baartman delivered a perfect final over, adding two more wickets to bowl Sunrisers out for 149.

The run chase wasn't straightforward. Memories from four nights ago resurfaced after Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje tore into the batting lineup. Jansen removed both openers in the fourth over, and Nortje picked the key wickets of Kyle Verreynne and Rubin Hermann in the seventh over to reduce Royals to 35/4. Miller and Keagan Lion Cachet joined forces to steady the ship; by the end of the 11th over, Royals were precariously placed at 56/4.

With the run rate just above five, Royals needed injection. Miller broke the deadlock with a six over Lewis Gregory, and both batters found the boundary in the following over to lift the rate to six. Miller then slammed another six off Gregory and took on Tharindu Rathnayake to clear the ropes twice more, turning the game completely. That over brought the equation down to 31 off 24, with Miller passing fifty. Lion Cachet hit the final nail in the coffin with three boundaries in the penultimate over bowled by Jansen. Despite slight jitters in the final over, Royals got through with two balls to spare.

Brief scores: Sunrisers Eastern Cape 149 in 20 overs (Jordan Hermann 47; Nqobani Mokoena 4/34, Ottneil Baartman 3/36) lost to Paarl Royals 150/5 in 19.4 overs (David Miller 71*, Keagan Lion Cachet 45; Anrich Nortje 2/21) by 5 wickets.