Durban Super Giants registered a stunning 35-run victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Match No 5 of the ongoing SA20 League on Saturday. Opting to bat first, the Super Giants posted a whopping total of 225/3 in 20 overs with JJ Smuts playing a magnificent knock of 75 off 38 balls. Later, the Sunrisers were restricted to 190/9, despite a 65-run knock from Tom Abell. However, this match grabbed a lot of attention after Tom Abell showed a terrific fielding effort to save six runs for his team.
In the 18th over of Super Giants' innings, Smuts played a powerful shot towards the long-on, which looked like an easy maximum. However, Abell showed a masterclass effort as he jumped and collected the ball, releasing it with his back hand.
But, all this effort went into vain as he ended up touching the boundary rope, while trying to collect the ball and it was declared a six.
Coming back to the match, apart from Smuts, Nicholas Pooran also played a quick knock of 60 off 31 balls and helped the Super Giants post a huge total. For the Sunrisers, Daniel Worrall scalped two wickets while Marco Jansen took one wicket.
Later, the Sunrisers lost both their openers early but Abell and skipper Aiden Markram stitched an important partnership.
Abell scored 65 off 36 balls while Markram scored 29 off 21 balls. Later, Tristan Stubbs also smashed 55 off 26 balls but failed to take his side across the line.
Richard Gleeson, Dwaine Pretorius, and Smutts scalped two wickets each while Reece Topley and Keshav Maharaj took one wicket each for the Super Giants.
Super Giants will now be squaring off against Joburg Super Kings for their next SA20 match on Monday while the Sunrisers will be facing MI Cape Town on Tuesday.