Play-off destiny at stake as Royals host Super Kings

Betway SA20 Season 4 has reached the last game of the league phase with everything still to play for at Boland Park on Monday evening.

Paarl Royals host Joburg Super Kings with the fourth and final play-off place still undecided. Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Pretoria Capitals and Royals have all progressed to the play-offs already but JSK and Durban’s Super Giants are still battling it out to join them in the coveted last four.

JSK have a straight shoot-out with the Royals. A victory will send them through to play-offs, setting up a rematch in the Eliminator at Centurion on Thursday.

DSG will be hoping the Royals can do them a favour as only a JSK defeat will help Lance Klusener’s team to progress.

Royals have ambitions of their own as a victory will propel them to the top the standings after the league phase has been completed. It will also set up a Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

Super Kings have been hit by another major injury ahead of the all-important clash against Royals with stand-in captain Donovan Ferreira being ruled out with a shoulder injury. JSK have already lost senior batter Rilee Rossouw and regular captain Faf du Plessis during the competition.

Coach Stephen Fleming rued his team’s misfortune but was now hoping that someone else in the JSK camp would grab the opportunity.

“It's just bad luck, we're not doing anything to create injuries within the camp. If anything, we're really smart about the way we train the players and risk the players, it's just bad luck,” Fleming said.

“They happen in a game and sometimes the way players come into the tournament can have an impact but it's the luck of the draw really and I've seen the downside of it here in Johannesburg unfortunately but being fortunate enough in other areas.

“So, you've got to take the luck with the bad but also it gives opportunities to players. We're working really hard on the guys that come in, that might not be the first plans we had but now they're the most important, so we're working on them and let's say we've got one more game, we give it a good crack and we can still qualify, we might be sitting here going on a little run and someone gets in great form and it's a different story.”

Royals are also looking to create some momentum into the play-offs after suffering a heavy defeat to DSG at Kingsmead last Saturday.

Captain David Miller is confident in his team’s bouncebackability as they have shown it throughout the competition.

“It's a long comp, 10 games and it's quite a brutal schedule. We’re all human and these things happen but definitely in high spirits,” Miller said.

“We were absolutely smoked in the first game and came back, bounced back really, really well.

“We played great cricket over the last month or three weeks. We thrive on playing as a team and in the field, getting around each other and stuff. We have lots to look forward to, top of the table. And if we win the next game, then we definitely. So that's our objective.”