Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Aiden Markram says his team will start at “zero” when they face the Paarl Royals in the second qualifier playoff in Centurion on Thursday.

The double defending champions kept their hat-trick title bid alive when they defeated the Joburg Super Kings by 32 runs in the eliminator playoff at the same venue on Wednesday.

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The Royals, meanwhile, have had to travel up to the Highveld after losing to MI Cape Town at St George’s Park in the first playoff qualifier on Tuesday.

It was David Miller’s team’s third loss in succession since becoming the first side to qualify for the playoffs almost two weeks ago. ​

The Sunrisers, meanwhile, have recovered from back-to-back defeats to win three games in succession to now sit just one game away from a third successive SA20 final.

The momentum is clearly with the Sunrisers, but Markram feels that counts for nothing in what will be his team’s sixth knockout match across three seasons. ​ ​

“I don’t think we’ve been particularly great this competition. So, we’re chasing and trying to play that perfect game,” Markram said.

“I know it’s probably never, ever going to happen, but that’s sort of what we’re striving for. And we trust that if we’re able to get close to that, then whatever the result might be, you sleep a lot better at night. So, that’s sort of what we’re chasing and where our focus is at.

“I’m sure the guys in the sheds are happy about that, that we’ve backed our previous game up, especially at a venue where it can be difficult to defend.

“We defended well as a team and managed to get the results. So, yeah, hopefully the run can continue, but [on Thursday] we start fresh, and we all start on zero again.”

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Paarl Royals all-rounder Dayyaan Galiem believes his team is capable of upsetting the Sunrisers despite having lost their last three matches.

“We’ve played good cricket over the last few weeks, so, we’re pretty confident,” he said. “We’re pretty happy with where we are. The team is still in a good space.”

Galiem also feels that the Royals have plenty of local knowledge about Centurion which will aid their cause on Thursday.

“Pretoria is a special place to me. Obviously, I play most of my cricket there as well. So, a few of us know the conditions well,” Galiem said.

“One of our coaching staff [Richard das Neves] also is the head coach of the Titans, which is based at that stadium. So, we’ll definitely come together, see what we can find about night games.

“And definitely try to favour those decisions we do make, whether it’s extra seamer, extra spinner, whatever we look to do.

“I think what is important for us is to start off well and bring the intensity. I think we’re the type of team that when we have brought our intensity, we’ve done really well.”

Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics