Rossouw, bowlers fire Pretoria Capitals into SA20 final

Preotria Capitals marched into the final of the inaugural season of SA20 by getting the better of Paarl Royals for a second successive day. After a high-scoring encounter in Centurion, the two sides squared off on a tacky Wanderers surface in thefirst semi-final. The Capitals, asked to bat first, scored 153 before bowling their opposition out for 124.

This win, however, wasn't a romp over the finish line as yesterday's fixture was. And that was largely down to the Johannesburg pitch, which offered something for both the quicks and the spinners. The Capitals were reduced to 51/3 in the ninth over with Phil Salt, Kusal Mendis and stand-in skipper Theunis de Bruyn back in the hut. They needed the experience of Rilee Rossouw to bail them out from there.

With spinners getting appreciable purchase out of the wicket, David Miller brought on Paul Stirling to bowl the 10th over and the offspinner was taken apart for 16 with Rossouw launching a six and Colin Ingram adding another four. It was a much-needed run-rate kick for the league winners despite the double setback that followed when Ingram and James Neesham fell in quick succession.

Rossouw was still around and he turbocharged the innings with a late-overs assault on Lungi Ngidi, hitting the experienced pacer for four boundaries in the 18th over, getting to a 37-ball half-century in the process. Eathan Bosch hit three fours and a six in his 10-ball 22 while Adil Rashid got away two fours in the final over to take Pretoria past the 150 mark.

Paarl's hopes of upsetting the apple-cart were doused early in the chase when Jason Roy was dismissed by Bosch with the second ball off the innings. Bosch then delivered the coup de grace by cleaning up the in-form Jos Buttler with the first ball of his second over, effectively killing the game.

Paul Stirling salvaged the PowerPlay by clubbing three fours and a six but was trapped LBW right after by Adil Rashid. The legspinner, relishing the conditions, then bowled Dane Vilas with a googly to leave Paarl 72/4 after 10 overs. The onus of the chase was on two southpaws Eoin Morgan and David Miller and de Bruyn sprung in a surprise by throwing the ball to the hero of the first innings. Rossouw vindicated the gamble by having Morgan caught at sweeper cover.

Wickets tumbled thereafter as Paarl's chase withered away. Miller was the ninth man to fall for a 27-ball 31 before Anrich Nortje finished proceedings by dismissing Shamsi in the same over.

The Capitals now await the winner of the second semifinal between Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape for the title clash.

Brief scores:Pretoria Capitals 153/8 in 20 overs (Rilee Rossouw 56; Andile Phehlukwayo 3-29, Tabraiz Shamsi 2-19) beat Paarl Royals 124 in 19 overs (David Miller 31; Eathan Bosch 2-22, Adil Rashid 2-15) by 29 runs.