Durban's Super Giants formed a puzzling batting order in the previous game.
Paarl Royals (PR) will face Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) in the 23rd match of SA20 2026. Both teams had contrasting results in their previous games: PR lost the fixture by 21 runs, while DSG won a nail-biter by two wickets.
Paarl Royals: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Asa Tribe, Rubin Hermann, Dan Lawrence, David Miller (c), Sikandar Raza, Delano Potgieter, Hardus Viljoen, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqobani Mokoena
Durban’s Super Giants: Aiden Markram (c), Marques Ackermann, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Bedingham, Sunil Narine, Evan Jones, Gerald Coetzee, Kwena Maphaka, Noor Ahmad
ALSO READ:
Spinners will again have assistance in Paarl, even though not as much as in the previous game, since this is a day-night encounter. Both teams have quality spinners, so expect them to dominate again. There will be some new-ball movement for pacers too.
The average first-innings score in Paarl this season has been 168. Hence, the deck should be good for batting in general, with occasional help for bowlers. The team winning the toss might elect to field first, with around 170 being a fighting score.
Durban’s Super Giants formed a weird batting order in the previous game, with most batters playing out of position. They slotted Sunil Narine at No.4 – a move that didn’t work at all for DSG, as he was dismissed on a 3-ball duck. Additionally, Bedingham took the No.6 spot, with Liam Livingstone at No.7.
This is a faulty batting lineup on so many fronts, even if Durban’s Super Giants won the contest. Sunil Narine shouldn’t bat in the middle order since he doesn’t have enough gears or power game to succeed on bouncy decks like those in South Africa. If he doesn’t open, he should remain in the lower order.
DSG should slot Liam Livingstone at No.4 to maximise their batting unit. His best comes at No.4, and he will be between two quality spin players in Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen. Since 2025, Livingstone has 631 runs at an average of 37.11 and a strike rate of 166.93 in 22 innings, including four fifties.
In other positions, his average and strike rate fall to 17.94 and 113.66 in this timeframe. He only has a solitary fifty. Even in ILT20, he batted at No.4 and exceeded with the willow.
Livingstone has never succeeded as a finisher, even if his pace game is strong, and requires some balls to settle before going big. In DSG’s setup, he fits nicely, and his presence will take some pressure off Klaasen, who has been a bit inconsistent lately. Bendingham should continue at No.6, followed by the likes of Sunil Narine and Evan Jones as pinch hitters.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
