- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR10.5 Pulled straight to deep midwicket! Short outside off and de Kock doesn't middle it at all. Deep midwicket was standing a few steps in from the rope and it goes right to him. A good knock from de Kock comes to an end 81/28.2 What a catch from David Miller! Bairstow's reprieve doesn't last long. He looks to go inside out to this full ball outside off, reaching for it in the end. Chips it to mid-off's left and Miller runs to his left and dives to remove Bairstow 66/111.5 knocks him over! What a comeback from Fortuin after being hit for a four. This is slow on a length around middle and leg and Jansen is very early into his slog sweep. The ball also spins away and crashes into the stumps 89/318.5 Timberrrr! Breetzke falls to Baartman for the fifth time in 10 innings! This is very full, almost in the blackhole, and Breetzke can't connect as he looks to hoick it away and loses his off stump 162/4Extras10 (lb 3, w 7)TOTAL186/4 (20 Overs, RR: 9.3)Fall of wickets: 1-66 (Jonny Bairstow, 8.2 ov), 2-81 (Quinton de Kock, 10.5 ov), 3-89 (Marco Jansen, 11.5 ov), 4-162 (Matthew Breetzke, 18.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ 0s 4s 6s WD NB D Potgieter 4 0 38 1 9.5 8 3 2 1 0 BC Fortuin 4 0 32 1 8 7 2 1 1 0 N Mokoena 3 0 39 0 13 3 4 1 3 0 OEG Baartman 4 0 40 2 10 10 4 2 1 0 Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4 0 33 0 8.25 9 3 1 0 0 AM Tribe 1 0 1 0 1 5 0 0 0 0
Player of the Match
Player of the Match
- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR0.3 A feather of an inside edge and it's given! Wafts at a full delivery and it looks to have seamed in past the edge. But Jansen was sure and it was given. Pretorius reviews it. Looks like the ball just kissed the toe end of the bat on the way through, with a slight spike on UltraEdge, and Royals lose Pretorius early! 2/13.3 And another one bites the dust! Milne goes back of a length, cramping him for room. Halambage looks for a short-arm swipe across the line. The top edge spoons up to mid-off and captain Stubbs does the rest 10/31.6 Big appeal for caught behind and this time the umpire doesn't give it. Milne is adamant and Stubbs sends it up. Length ball angled across him and Hermann hung his bat out in defence. The ball was shaping away just a touch and goes from very close to the outside edge. And UltraEdge confirms the nick! Sunrisers have two wickets in two overs, and where Jordan Hermann scored a fine fifty, his brother Rubin has got a duck to his name. 7/27.4 Another one dropped short, Verreynne looks for the pull again but mistimes it and it's an easy catch at deep midwicket. Stubbs with another catch, and Paarl Royals are sinking fast at home! 37/55.6 High into the sky and drops straight to the fielder! Cross-seam bouncer outside off and Tribe tries to take him on with the pull, top-edging it and picking out Muthusamy. He was impressive for a few strokes he played, but Nortje gets the better of him 30/411.2 And now Miller falls! Looks to pull away a delivery not quite a half-tracker and can't get the height or distance on that. Deep midwicket has to move a few steps to his left before grabbing a simple chance. That's Ratnayake's first SA20 wicket! 48/910.1 Castles him with a brute Pace on, full outside off and it shapes away just a touch and enough to beat Potgieter's attempted flick across the line and the stumps are in a mess 46/610.5 High in the night sky and Nortje picks up another in the over! Hurries him with a short ball and Fortuin top edges it. Goes up a long way, but de Kock settles under it and takes it without any drama. Nortje really bowling lighting and thunder out here today 48/710.6 And Nortje has another! A three-wicket over! Another brute of a short ball, so well directed, rocketing in on Mujeeb, who brings up his hands as he tries to get his head out of the way. It thuds his gloves en route to de Kock 48/811.5 And that will be that! Ratnayake has wickets with each hand in an over and Sunrisers start the campaign with a statement win as Paarl Royals will go down for having the lowest total in SA20 history. Mokoena clears his front leg and has a mighty heave at this full ball around off but he plays all around it and Royals are bowled out for one run short of 50! 49/10Extras4 (lb 2, nb 1, w 1)TOTAL49 all out (11.5 Overs, RR: 4.14)Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 0.3 ov), 2-7 (Rubin Hermann, 1.6 ov), 3-10 (Vishen Halambage, 3.3 ov), 4-30 (Asa Tribe, 5.6 ov), 5-37 (Kyle Verreynne, 7.4 ov), 6-46 (Delano Potgieter, 10.1 ov), 7-48 (Bjorn Fortuin, 10.5 ov), 8-48 (Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10.6 ov), 9-48 (David Miller, 11.2 ov), 10-49 (Nqobani Mokoena, 11.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ 0s 4s 6s WD NB M Jansen 3 0 15 1 5 11 2 0 0 0 AF Milne 2 0 7 2 3.5 8 1 0 0 0 A Nortje 3 0 13 4 4.33 12 1 0 1 1 KTH Ratnayake 2.5 0 9 2 3.17 9 0 0 0 0 S Muthusamy 1 0 3 1 3 4 0 0 0 0
Match Details
Series
Toss
Sunrisers Eastern Cape , elected to bat first
Player Of The Match
Season
Hours of play (local time)
17.30 start, First Session 17.30-19.00, Interval 19.00-19.20, Second Session 19.20-20.50
Match days
27 December 2025 - day/night match (20-over match)
TV Umpires
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
Points
Sunrisers Eastern Cape 5, Paarl Royals 0
Match Notes
- Powerplay 1: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 52 runs, 0 wicket)
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape: 50 runs in 4.5 overs (29 balls), Extras 4
- 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 29 balls (Q de Kock 24, JM Bairstow 22, Ex 4)
- Strategic Timeout: Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 52/0 in 6.0 overs (Q de Kock 26, JM Bairstow 22)
- Over 5.6: Review by Paarl Royals (Bowling), Decision Challenged - Wicket, Umpire - A Steenkamp, Batter - JM Bairstow (Struck down)
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape: 100 runs in 13.4 overs (82 balls), Extras 7
- 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 30 balls (MP Breetzke 24, J Hermann 27, Ex 4)
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape: 150 runs in 17.3 overs (105 balls), Extras 9
- J Hermann: 50 off 26 balls (5 x 4, 3 x 6)
- Innings Break: Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 186/4 in 20.0 overs (J Hermann 62, T Stubbs 2)
- Powerplay 1: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 30 runs, 4 wickets)
- Over 0.3: Review by Paarl Royals (Batting), Decision Challenged - Wicket, Umpire - A Jacobs, Batter - LG Pretorius (Struck down)
- Over 1.6: Review by Sunrisers Eastern Cape (Bowling), Decision Challenged - Wicket, Umpire - A Steenkamp, Batter - RA Herman (Upheld)
- Strategic Timeout: Paarl Royals - 42/5 in 9.0 overs (DA Miller 4, D Potgieter 2)
SA20 News
WTC expansion: ICC to consider allowing one-Test series in next cycle
An ICC working group led by Roger Twose is expected to present the recommendation to board heads at an ICC meeting soon
BCB vs Dhaka clubs standoff leaves players in the lurch
The most important domestic cricket competition in Bangladesh is on hold, and the players are suffering
Australia contracts talking points: Weatherald backed, why no Jhye, Lyon's injury worry
Test openers, fast bowling depth and spin stocks all had an impact on the make-up of the latest batch of contracts
Bopara quits county cricket: 'It's tough, I felt like part of the furniture'
Blast veteran won't be back for season No. 24 after prioritising commentary and coaching gigs
Canterbury take Plunket Shield title after tight race needs second tie-breaker
Otago's victory over Wellington in the final round wasn't enough to clinch top spot


