'You're never going to play the perfect game': Russell Domingo after Sunrisers Eastern Cape's win over Paarl Royals

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) dominated Paarl Royals (PR) by 48 runs in the 28th match of the SA20, 2025, on Saturday, securing a crucial bonus point win ahead of their upcoming Eliminator clash against JSK.
After winning the toss, SEC opted to bat first and posted a total of 148/8 in their 20 overs. Key contributions came from Jordan Hermann (53) and Tristan Stubbs (43).
Despite a strong start, with SEC reaching 80 after 10 overs, their innings faltered due to a top-order collapse. Tony de Zorzi, David Bedingham, and Aiden Markram all fell to the bowling of Bjorn Fortuin and Mitchell Owen.
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“Look, I think from the start we had where we had 80 after 10 and we’re in a good position. We’re thinking we’ve got to get over 160 because we started off really well at the start of the game," caoch Russell Domingo said after the match.
“We’re also probably looking at 150 to 160 because that’s the nature of the pitchers in George’s Park. So probably 10 or 15 short of where we should have been. But yeah, you're never going to play the perfect game and really happy with the way we started today because we haven’t had good starts over the last couple of weeks and today was a really good start and some big improvements."
Despite the middle-order resistance, including Liam Dawson’s firm stand, SEC ended with a subpar total. Fortuin, Malinga, and Owen were the standout bowlers for Paarl, each picking up two wickets.

In response, Paarl Royals’ chase crumbled under the pressure of SEC’s seamers. Craig Overton and Marco Jansen tore through the top order, reducing Paarl to 22/5 inside four overs.
Although Rubin Hermann (35) and Andile Phehlukwayo (22) tried to rebuild, Aiden Markram’s double strike, including a brilliant catch by Overton, sealed the fate of Paarl. They were bowled out for 100 in 18.2 overs.
Jansen and Overton each claimed three wickets, sealing a comprehensive victory for SEC. The win gives SEC much-needed confidence heading into their Eliminator, while Paarl faces questions about their batting depth ahead of Qualifier 1.