• Sunrisers hold nerve in Newlands nail-biter

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    Jordan Hermann’s 106* off 62 balls powered the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a thrilling four-run victory over MI Cape Town in Cape Town on Tuesday.

    Hermann, who struck eight fours and six sixes, reconfirmed that he is a batsman for the future.

    It was an innings built on precision, touch, delicacy and the just amount of brute force required.

    There was a touch of good fortune early on when the 22-year-old drove hard at Kagiso Rabada just two balls into the innings, but the edge burst through young Connor Esterhuizen’s hands at slip.

    From thereon Hermann, along with Dawid Malan who was making his SA20 debut, dominated proceedings with the pair compiling a 138-run opening wicket stand.

    Malan showed all his experience with 53 off 37 balls (four fours, three sixes) that proved to be the perfect guiding hand for Hermann to express his talent.

    The rising star carried his bat all the way through the end, bringing up his three-figure milestone in the final over, which received rich applause from the Newlands crowd, as the Sunrisers closed their innings at an imposing 202-2 – the highest SA20 score in Cape Town.

    MI Cape Town’s opening pair of Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen have been in imperious form, and provided the home team with the perfect start.

    The pair had already put together partnerships of 82 and a record-breaking 200 before adding a further 108 on Tuesday evening to set MI Cape Town on course for a record chase.

    However, Rickelton’s departure for 58 off 33 balls (two fours, fix sixes) followed by Van der Dussen’s (41 off 28; three fours, two sixes) within two overs of each other stemmed MI Cape Town’s momentum.

    The double loss of Dewald Brevis and Liam Livingstone shortly afterwards created further pressure before captain Kieron Pollard (24 off 19 balls) and Sam Curran resurrected the home team’s chase with a 53-run partnership off 33 deliveries.

    Ultimately, it left MI Cape Town requiring 15 runs off the final six balls with Ottniel Baartman (3-35) handed the responsibility of sending down the final over.

    Baartman’s task became even greater when MI Cape Town rookie Connor Esterhuizen belted the first ball over midwicket for six which reduced the equation to nine off five balls.

    Baartman held his nerve though by sending down inch perfect yorkers for the defending champions to edge home in thrilling fashion in Cape Town for their first victory of the season.

    HIGHLIGHTS: MI Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20)

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    Simon Borchardt