Sunrisers EC: Twitter
The home team needed it and so did the St George's Park faithful.
Much to the delight of another superb 'Orange Army' home crowd, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape got across the line with three balls to spare as they put away MI Cape Town by 4 wickets at St Georges Park on Monday night.
Batting first, MI Cape Town made a below par score of 158 for 8 in their 20 overs which featured a T20 career best of 63 not out off just 28 balls from George Linde.
The home team bowlers were superb, led by Ottniel Baartman with 3/45 in his four overs and two apiece from Sisanda Magala and captain Aiden Markram.
In pursuit of their first win, after losing their first two matches to the Pretoria Capitals, The Sunrisers EC slipped to 9/2 inside 3 overs.
However, man of the match Markram (50 off 35 balls) and Sarel Erwee (41 off 35 balls) restored parity with a match-winning partnership of 92 runs in a shade under ten overs for the third wicket.
The R9 million man Tristan Stubbs then clubbed 30 off 18 deliveries and Marco Jansen made 16 not out off 17 to get the Sunrisers within touching distance.
Back to back boundaries by James Fuller in the final over put the finishing touches to a thrilling contest which also lifted the Sunrisers EC off the bottom of the table.
They have little time to rest on their laurels as they face MI Cape Town again on Wednesday in the return leg at Newlands.
