Brief scores: Durban Super Giants 216/4, 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 57, Lungi Ngidi 2-33, Evan Jones 2-33) beat Paarl Royals 189/8, 20 overs (Eoin Morgan 64, Reece Topley 3-34) by 27 runs.

Eoin Morgan and Dane Vilas put up a stunning century partnership for the Paarl Royals, chasing a mammoth 217 in their match against Durban's Super Giants at Kingsmead on Sunday. But the Royals fell just 27 runs short, as the Super Giants emerged victorious on their home ground. 

Super Giants go big

Earlier, Quinton de Kock won the toss and opted to bat first in a day game. Bright and sunny conditions in Durban made for a perfect opportunity for the batters, and the Super Giants openers took advantage of it. Kyle Mayers and Wiaan Mulder added 62 runs inside the Powerplay, before Evan Jones came in and got the crucial breakthrough. He struck again in the 14th over to remove Mulder, but by then the hosts were already nearing 150, thanks to the skipper who was striking big at 180+. Lungi Ngidi got rid of Quinton in the following over, but then came Heinrich Klaasen, teeing off with a 19-ball unbeaten 50 to help the Super Giants post the second 200-plus total of the season.

The chase began with Jason Roy unleashing his destructive self from the first ball. His 23-ball 33 set the tone for the Royals, as they racked up 55 runs in the first six overs despite losing the in-form Jos Buttler. But the visitors lost three wickets in the next couple of overs and it put the team under pressure at 63/4 by the end of the 8th over. 

Morgan-Vilas lead counterattack

The Royals were desperately seeking a revival and that's when the Morgan-Vilas duo came in, breathing life and some fire into the chase. With the required run rate well above 16, both batters got into the boundary-hitting mode playing catch-up. While Morgan's 64 was laced with 2 hours and 5 massive sixes, Vilas scored a brisk 30-ball 44 that included 3 fours and 2 sixes. The counterattacking spree meant that the pair ended up adding 114 runs for the fifth wicket in just 61 balls. But an unfortunate run-out in the 18th over ended Morgan's fiery stay, and it was followed by Reece Topley's twin wicket over that left the Royals well within touching distance of the target. 

Milestone alert!

  • This was Lungi Ngidi's 100th T20 match
  • Dane Vilas completed 4000 runs in T20 cricket

Way forward

Two losses in three matches may seem worrisome, but David Miller & co. will hope to turn things around as they head back to their base for their next four matches. Having already won their first match at Boland Park, the Royals will be eyeing to get a few more wins under their belt to arrest the slide before it's too late. And it will only be poetic justice if they do it against the same opponent, who they face next in a day's time.