A nerve-wracker, a potboiler, a blockbuster. A heartbreak. We fought, we tried, we gave it everything. Our blood, our sweat, but sadly, it’s ended in tears. It’s a bit hard to take, but we we will fight on..        

That 19^th over: 

Six balls, 18 runs, Daniel Worrall the bowler, Delano Potgieter on strike, Kieron Pollard at the non-striker’s. Delano fell first ball, George Linde walked in. Smacked the over’s second ball over long-off, carved a wide Yorker into the point boundary, and suddenly, just like that, the equation was down to a very solid-looking eight off three. Next ball, Polly was back on strike. 

19.5: Heaved to deep mid-wicket, and Polly ran across. He was always coming back for the second. In that final stretch, he flung himself at the crease, every ounce of his body desperate to make it in. It just wasn’t his day. The throw from Marco Jansen came at his end, a flat one too, and Tristan Stubbs whipping the bails had him a yard short. 

19.6: Thomas Kaber, the new man in, tried, swung, but sadly, could only miscue. 

The positives – The batters find their groove 

Ryan Rickelton was back among the runs. Liam Livingstone, promoted to number three, had a good solid swing. Sam Curran continued his fine form, and it was probably his dismissal that opened the gates for SEC to come back in. And Dewald Brevis, after a couple of tough games, found his groove, smashing three sixes in his 26-run stay. 

Thushara-Rabada pull things back superbly

The Sunrisers were at 163/3 after the 18^th over. Kagiso Rabada got rid of the set Markram and gave away just eight runs in the 19^th. Nuwan Thushara then went a step further, nailed his yorkers with his wide slingy action, and got a couple of poles himself, conceding just four runs to restrict SEC at 175/6.

Okay, we know this will take a bit of time to get over, but the good thing is that the matches here are coming thick and fast for us to put this loss behind us. We are heading back to our Newlands, and up next are the Joburg Super Kings, who are below us in the points table. Come on Newlands Faithful, let’s get back to 12^th man duties, and engulf the Yellow in our Blue and Gold.