Jos Buttler and Lungi Ngidi steered the Paarl Royals to a seven-wicket bonus point victory over Joburg Super Kings (JSK) at Boland Park on Wednesday evening.
The Royals maintained their 100% record with their third consecutive victory, while JSK remain winless after four matches.
Unlike in previous matches at Boland Park where the spinners have dominated, it was the Royals’ seamers that set up the win.
Obed McCoy (2/31) set the Royals in motion by removing Reeza Hendricks, before the impressive Ngidi got into the act in the final over of the Power Play.
The competition’s leading wicket-taker pegged back the men in yellow with wickets off successive balls when he clean-bowled Faf du Plessis (9) before having debutant Wayne Madsen caught by Mitchell van Buuren at third man for a first-ball duck.
Ngidi (3/17) failed to claim the first hat-trick of the competition when Moeen Ali defended the next ball, but returned at the death to claim his third wicket of the evening.
JSK also suffered three run outs, including that of top-scorer Leus du Plooy (71 off 43 balls) to be dismissed for 134.
Royals wicket-keeper, Buttler, was pivotal to the run-outs as he threw down the stumps on two occasions with the visitors looking to steal a single.
The Royals’ run-chase was never in danger with Buttler masterminding the chase superbly with an undefeated 70 off 37 balls (8×4, 3×6).
The England skipper, who was the competition’s leading run-scorer and Batter of the Season in Season 1, looked in ominous form ahead of the weekend’s Cape Derbies against MI Cape Town.
Wihan Lubbe provided support with a 30-ball 39 before veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir trapped him LBW.
It, however, proved to be a mere consolation for the visitors as they now look to turn their season around in the Jukskei Derby against Pretoria Capitals at the Wanderers on Saturday.
image:Jos Buttler of Paarl Royals celebrates his half century, photographer Nic Bothma
