Klaasen century flattens Pretoria Capitals to keep Durban’s semi-final hopes alive

The Durban Super Giants kept themselves alive in SA20 with their thumping 151-run victory over the Pretoria Capitals in their final league encounter on Sunday at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Heinrich Klaasen scored a blistering 104 in just 44 balls to power Durban to a mammoth total of 254 for four before the bowlers followed it up with an equally impressive display, bowling the Capitals out for 103 in 13.5 overs.

The Durban Super Giants needed a substantial victory over Pretoria with a bonus point to keep their chances of making the final four alive, and the openers – Quinton de Kock and Ben McDermott – set the perfect platform for a colossal total. The pair gave the Super Giants a blazing start and carted the Pretoria pace attack that was weakened by the absence of their leading wicket-taker Anrich Nortje. McDermott kickstarted the fireworks with a pair of boundaries against Eathan Bosch, while Quinton de Kock creamed Joshua Little for 18 runs in the third over.

The pair continued the carnage throughout the powerplay, helping the Super Giants add 76 runs in the first six overs. Jimmy Neesham broke the stand on the first ball of the seventh over with a magnificent return catch to dismiss Quinton de Kock for 43, but Heinrich Klaasen extended the opener’s momentum through the middle and put on a batting clinic to score the second century of the competition.

The right-hander carted left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy for five boundaries in his opening two overs and raced away to his half-century in just 23 deliveries. Klaasen didn’t spare any of the Pretoria bowlers and kept his foot on the accelerator throughout the innings on his home ground. Jimmy Neesham took another stunner to remove Wiaan Mulder, but Klaasen added 84 runs in the final six overs alongside Matthew Breetzke to catapult Durban to the highest score of the tournament.

Breetzke smashed five fours and three sixes in a power-packed cameo off 46 from 21, while Klaasen got to his three-figure mark of the penultimate ball of the innings with a six over long-on.

In reply, the Pretoria run chase faltered from the word go. The table-toppers lost three wickets inside the powerplay and wilted under the pressure of the gigantic scoring rate to fall for just 103 in 13.5 overs. DSG remain in fifth place in the table despite this monumental victory, but can still qualify for the semi-finals if other results go their way in the final two games of the group stages.