SA20: Pretoria Capitals condemn defending champions to third consecutive defeat

The Sunrisers could only muster a below-par total of 113 all out batting first before the home side reached the target in 16 overs while losing four wickets in the process.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl, the Capitals made immediate inroads into the visitors' batting line-up with the Sunrisers reduced to 4-3 inside two overs and then 50-6 after 12 overs.

Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer finally established a meaningful partnership, adding 40 for the seventh wicket with Proteas all-rounder Jansen doing most of the damage.

Harmer fell to the spin of Senuran Muthusamy but Jansen showed fight to the very end, bring up his half-century before falling for 51 from 35 balls as the Sunrisers were bowled out in the final over of the innings.

Eathan Bosch and Daryn Dupavillon were the chief destroyers with the ball for the Capitals, the fast-bowling duo returning figures of 2-18 and 3-32 respectively.

The Capitals made a solid enough start to the run-chase as Will Jacks raced to 27 off 23 balls. However, his wicket - alongside those of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kyle Verreynne and Rilee Rossouw - kept Sunrisers believing there was a chance when they were reduced to 61-4 in the ninth over.

However, an unbeaten 55-run partnership between Liam Livingstone (14 not out) and Marques Ackerman (39 not out) carried hosts over the line, with Ackerman's six off the last ball of the 16th over sealing the bonus point.

The result is a third consecutive defeat for two-time winners Sunrisers Eastern Cape with their next match on Friday against last season's runners-up Durban Super Giants at Kingsmead on Friday.

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