Will Jacks and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put up a 154-run opening partnership |Courtesy - Pretoria Capitals
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Will Jacks and Rahmanullah Gurbaz set an unwanted record
- Jacks and Gurbaz put up a 154-run opening stand
- Both players scored half-centuries
Will Jacks and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put up one of the finest partnerships in T20 cricket history on Friday (January 10) in the second match of the 2025 season of SA20 between Pretoria Capitals and Durban Super Giants at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban but their effort went in vain as their team lost the match.
Jacks and Gurbaz walked out to open the batting for the Capitals as they attempted to chase down a massive total of 210 in their season opener. The English-Afghan pair put the Pretoria-based outfit on course for a victory with a 154-run opening partnership in just 12.1 overs.
This was only the third instance of a 150-run partnership in the history of South Africa's marquee T20 franchise league. Gurbaz led the way with a stunning knock of 89 runs in just 43 balls at a strike-rate of 206.97 while Jacks made a 35-ball 64 at a scoring rate of 182.85.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz And Will Jacks Set Unwanted T20 World Record
When Gurbaz was dismissed by countryman Noor Ahmed in the 13th over, a win looked like a formality for the visitors. However, Noor dismissed Jacks in his next over and triggered a massive collapse as the Capitals lost six wickets and made just 53 runs in the last overs. Naveen-Ul-Haq held his nerve in the final over to seal a memorable two-run win.
As a result, Gurbaz and Jacks have set the world record for the highest opening partnership in an unsuccessful run chase in T20 cricket history across the world. The only other instance of an opening pair putting up a 150-run stand and losing the match came 11 years ago in a Ram Slam T20 challenge match in 2014 when Henry Davids and Dean Elgar's 151-run stand went in vain as the Titans lost to the Cape Cobras by 14 runs at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Overall, this is the 7th instance of a team losing the match after their opening pair put up a 150-run partnership. The record for the highest 1st wicket partnership in a losing cause is held by the Indian pair of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal when Kings XI Punjab lost to Rajasthan Royals in a 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Sharjah. Babar Azam and Will Jacks are the only players to feature in two 150+ opening partnerships that ended in defeat.
150+ Opening Partnerships In Losing Cause (T20 Cricket)
| Players |
Partnership |
Innings |
Team |
Opponent |
Tournament |
Venue |
Year |
| Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul |
183 |
1 |
Kings XI Punjab |
Rajasthan Royals |
IPL |
Sharjah |
2020 |
| Laurie Evans, Will Jacks |
177 |
1 |
Surrey |
Middlesex |
T20 Blast |
Oval |
2023 |
| Babar Azam, Sharjeel Khan |
176 |
1 |
Karachi Kings |
Islamabad United |
PSL |
Karachi |
2021 |
| Babar Azam, Saim Ayub |
162 |
1 |
Peshawar Zalmi |
Quetta Gladiators |
PSL |
Rawalpindi |
2023 |
| Ahsaan Ali, Will Smeed |
155 |
1 |
Quetta Gladiators |
Peshawar Zalmi |
PSL |
Karachi |
2022 |
| Will Jacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
154 |
2 |
Pretoria Capitals |
Durban Super Giants |
SA20 |
Durban |
2025 |
| Henry Davids, Dean Elgar |
151 |
2 |
Titans |
Cape Cobras |
Ram Slam T20 |
Johannesburg |
2014 |
Jacks and Gurbaz registered the second-quickest (run rate 12.62) 150+ partnership in a losing cause in T20I. It is also the fastest in a run chase. The only opening partnership which came at a quicker pace but ended in defeat also involved Jacks when he and Laure Evans put up a 177-run stand for Surrey against Middlesex in 12.4 overs at the Oval in a T20 Blast game in 2023. Their team posted a massive total of 252 in the game but lost the game as the visitors chased down the score with four balls to spare.
Jacks and Gurbaz's partnership is the third-highest for any wicket in a losing cause in a T20 game. The South African pair Quinton de Kock and David Miller's 174-run partnership against India for the fourth wicket in a T20 game at Guwahati in 2022 is the biggest in a losing cause while chasing a total. The Proteas lost that match by 16 runs. Orlando Peters and Marlon Samuels put up a 161-run partnership for the fourth wicket for the Antigua Hawksbills against the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2014 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), but their team was defeated by 19 runs.
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