Shai Hope century and Lungi Ngidi hat-trick power Pretoria Capitals past Durban's Super Giants

Hope produced the finest innings of his T20 career, smashing an unbeaten 118 from 69 balls - his first SA20 century and the highest individual score in the tournament's history - to propel the Capitals to 201 for four. It was the Barbadian's first hundred in the format after 194 T20 innings, surpassing Kyle Verreynne's previous SA20 best of 116 not out.

Opening alongside Connor Esterhuizen, Hope dominated a century stand inside 11 overs, with Esterhuizen contributing 37 from 28 balls. Hope reached his fifty in 34 deliveries and continued to accelerate with powerful pulls, sweeps and clean striking against both pace and spin. After Esterhuizen fell, Hope added 85 runs with Roston Chase, who was later retired out in a tactical move to maximise the closing overs. While Sherfane Rutherford fell cheaply, Dewald Brevis struck two towering sixes to push the total beyond 200.

Durban's chase required them to achieve something unprecedented in SA20 - successfully hunt down a target above 167. They remained in touch early but lost wickets at regular intervals. Marques Ackermann (27), Kane Williamson (12) and Aiden Markram (16) all made starts before falling, leaving Jos Buttler to carry the chase almost single-handedly.

Batting at No. 3, Buttler was outstanding, finishing unbeaten on 97 from 52 balls with nine fours and five sixes. He briefly reignited hope with successive sixes off Ngidi and then plundered 22 runs in the 19th over, leaving Durban needing 18 from the final six balls.

The turning point came earlier, however, when Ngidi claimed the first hat-trick in SA20 history in the 18th over, dismissing David Wiese, Sunil Narine and Gerald Coetzee with consecutive deliveries. Ngidi ended with 3 for 39, while Gideon Peters also claimed three wickets in an impressive return from injury. Sunil Narine was the most economical Durban bowler, conceding just 22 from four overs.

Despite Buttler retaining the strike for the final over, Roston Chase held his nerve, executing his yorkers and forcing run-outs to close out the match, leaving Buttler stranded just short of a century.

The win lifts the Capitals into fourth place on the table, while Durban are left to reflect on a chase that threatened late but ultimately fell short.

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