Ottneil Baartman becomes second player with SA20 hat-trick: Details
What's the story
Paarl Royals have secured their place in the playoffs of the ongoing SA20 tournament. The team achieved this feat with a dominating victory over Pretoria Capitals. Ottneil Baartman was the star performer of the match, taking five wickets, including a hat-trick in the 19th over. His stellar performance helped bundle out the Capitals for just 127 runs. Rubin Hermann and Dan Lawrence then powered Paarl Royals to an emphatic win with 4.5 overs remaining and six wickets in hand.
Game changer
Baartman's impact on the game
Baartman, who was back in the playing XI, made an immediate impact by dismissing Connor Esterhuizen and Jordan Cox with his first two deliveries. The Capitals struggled to find momentum after that as Bjorn Fortuin dismissed Wihan Lubbe and Sikandar Raza dismissed Dewald Brevis and Shai Hope. Andre Russell's late flurry of runs gave a glimmer of hope, but Baartman returned to dismiss him before taking Lizaad Williams and Lungi Ngidi off successive deliveries for a hat-trick.
Match summary
Paarl Royals's chase and victory
The chase wasn't smooth sailing as Williams struck twice early on, dismissing openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Asa Tribe. However, Hermann's positive intent from the outset ensured that the asking rate never climbed despite these early wickets. He found a steady ally in Lawrence and together they added 52 runs for the third wicket to settle any nerves. David Miller then took control of the innings with a flurry of boundaries, keeping the bonus point firmly in sight.
Stats
Baartman joins Ngidi
Notably, Baartman, who finished with 5/16 from four overs, became just the second player in SA20 history with this feat as he joined Ngidi, who accomplished this feat versus Durban's Super Giants. With 57 wickets from 30 games at 14.10, Baartman is now the leading wicket-taker in SA20 history. His tally includes three four-fers and a fifer. The pacer went past Marco Jansen, who boasts 54 scalps in the league.