Markram overcomes pressure, seizes moment with pitch-perfect knock: 'That's what AB does'

100 on the dot. Not an extra run to spoil the perfect T20 innings.

Chris Gayle, Brenden McCullum, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock have all scored mammoth Indian Premier League T20 hundreds near or at 150 but Aiden Markram’s on Thursday night had a beauty that went beyond bludgeoning the ball.

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain scored 100 from 58 balls as the Gqeberha side beat the Joburg Super Kings by 14 runs at SuperSport Park, Centurion, to make Saturday's SA20 final against the Pretoria Capitals (16:30).

After picking the team up from 10/2 in 2 overs, Markram almost grew wings, batted from a superior position, where the ball met his bat right at the meat, as he picked the Super Kings bowlers apart, especially one Romario Shepherd.

LIVE | Majestic Markram rises to occasion as skipper’s century helps send Sunrisers into SA20 final

After raising his bat following a six off Lizaad Williams, Markram was overcome with emotion. His partner Tristan Stubbs let out a squeal and Markram gestured as if he was throwing his bat down in disgust - the sigh that Temba Bavuma released when he scored a century against England in the second ODI in Bloemfontein last week.

"I think it was the occasion," Sunrisers head coach Adrian Birrell said after the game.

"To come and perform and play an innings like that, in a semi-final and starting like we did under pressure, two down for next to nothing, I think the emotion came out because of the magnitude of the innings on the occasion of the semi-final."

Markram possesses a maddening cricket talent, which has been there for all eyes since he was a Pretoria Boys’ High schoolboy. He was the next one after De Villiers - the one for all formats an occasions.

Yes, Quinton de Kock arrived with a tsunami of