Cameron Delport produced a T20 batting masterclass for Paarl Rocks on Wednesday to blast his team into the Mzansi Super League semifinal.
Needing a bonus point win over the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Boland Park in Paarl, Delport hit an entertaining 84 runs to guide his team home with six wickets in the bank in a nailbiting encounter.
Rocks were in desperate need of a hero in their 130-run run chase.
At one stage they were looking like they were going to fall short on claiming the bonus point.
The points system meant Rocks had to get the winning runs inside 16 overs.
And after getting in his eye first, Delport let lose to score 50 of his runs in 16 balls to up his team’s run rate and take them closer to the playoffs.
The 29-year-old Durbanite was eventually clean bowled for Sisanda Magala for 84 after smacking fives sixes and seven fours.
When he was removed, Rocks needed 11 runs off 10 balls for the win and also lost big-hitting allrounder Dwayne Bravo for a duck.
But they got there in the end with Aiden Markram (14*) and David Wiese (8*) steering them home and into the semifinals.
Earlier in the day, it was Rudi Second that top-scored for the Giants after they decided to bat first.
He had to work hard for his 37, which came off 41 balls before Bravo knocked over his leg stump.
The West Indian was the pick of the bowlers for Rocks, finishing his four overs with figures of 3/22 as the Giants could only get 129/8 in their 20 overs.
A quickfire unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls by Proteas allrounder Chris Morris helped the Giants to their grand total, which was ultimately not enough.
The win, meanwhile, means Rocks will now travel to the Wanderers to face Jozi Stars on Friday for the right to play Cape Town Blitz in the tournament’s first final at Newlands on Sunday.