Baartman Bowling Heroics Lead Paarl Royals to Big Win Over Pretoria Capitals

Paarl Royals crushed Pretoria Capitals in a dominating fashion at Centurion. They won the contest by 6 wickets, as Ottneil Baartman remained their star performer in the match. He picked up 5 wickets in the first innings to dismantle the batting of Capitals for just 127 runs. This was a below-par target that was easily chased down by Royals in the second innings for the loss of just four wickets.

The eagerly anticipated Paarl Royals vs Pretoria Capitals match proved to be a one-sided contest, as the game was totally dominated by Royals during both innings. Their bowlers first dismantled the batting of Capitals on a lower score, courtesy of Baartman, who took a brilliant hat trick in the first innings to give Royals a huge edge.

Batting first, Pretoria Capitals didn’t have a great start as they lost quick wickets in the Powerplay. The aggressive spell of Ottneil Baartman didn’t allow them to settle at the crease, as batters failed to pick his length and varying pace in the first six overs.

After the failure of the top order, Sherfane Rutherford and Dewald Brevis built a small partnership in the middle overs, but they never gained strong momentum. As a result, the pressure kept mounting and eventually led to the dismissals of both batters.

By taking back-to-back wickets, Paarl Royals took a strong edge in the first innings. They bowled out Pretoria Capitals for just 127 runs, thanks to a collective bowling effort from Ottneil Baartman, Hardus Viljoen, and Sikandar Raza.

Paarl Royals also endured a poor start in the second innings, as both openers were dismissed cheaply by Lizaad Williams in the Powerplay. After these quick wickets, the middle order of Royals took the responsibility and played sensibly without attempting risky shots. The partnership between Rubin Hermann and Dan Lawrence proved vital for the Royals, as it gave them a solid base to chase down the target.

The fireworks from David Miller at the end ultimately sealed the victory for Royals, as they won the match by 6 wickets. By winning this contest, Paarl Royals have now moved to the top of the SA20 2026 points table with five wins in eight games.