The Paarl Royals beat MI Cape Town for the first time at a boiling hot Boland Park on Sunday.
The Royals had previously been defeated on three occasions by their neighbours, with the latest reversal having been on Friday at Newlands.
The Winelands franchise delivered a clinical bonus point 59-run victory to entrench their position at the top of the SA20 log with 18 points.
MI Cape Town’s third defeat of the competition left them in fourth place with nine points.
Local hero Bjorn Fortuin was the star of the show for the Royals with the left-arm spinner delivering an inspired performance with the new ball. Fortuin claimed two wickets in the first over of the Royals’ chase, removing both Rassie van der Dussen and Dewald Brevis with successive deliveries.
MI Cape Town were certainly in dire straits when they also lost the competition’s leading run-scorer Ryan Rickleton shortly afterwards for just five to reduce the visitors to 13-3. It was the first time that Rickelton had been dismissed for under 50 this season.
Fortuin returned for a second spell later and was rewarded with further success when George Linde was also dismissed for a duck.
Fortuin finished with superb figures of 3-15 as the visitors folded for 103 all out.
It was a complete bowling performance from the Royals with fellow left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (2-11) and seamers Obed McCoy (2-18) and Lungi Ngidi (2-26) all relishing their home conditions.
HIGHLIGHTS: Paarl Royals vs MI Cape Town (SA20)
In contrast, the Royals batsmen had earlier showed their neighbours the blueprint to scoring runs at Boland Park.
Openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler were selective in their shot making, but authoritative when they went on the attack as the pair added 116 for the first wicket that set the platform for the home side’s eventual 162-3.
Roy struck 68 off 46 balls while Buttler contributed 54 off 42.
Although the Royals lost their way a bit, with MI Cape Town new signing Nuwan Thushara reigning in the home side with figures of 2-27, they were not going to be denied victory.
However, the Royals will be worried about captain David Miller, who was forced to retire hurt with a calf injury after scoring 24 off 20 balls.
Photo: Nic Bothma/Sportzpics
