• Capitals crush MICT to go top of SA20 log

    Published on

    The Pretoria Capitals moved to the summit of the SA20 log after a bonus-point win against MI Cape Town at Centurion on Monday.

    The 53-run victory took the Capitals to 20 log points, one point ahead of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who have a game in hand.

    MI Cape Town’s playoff aspirations are hanging by a thread with only two matches remaining against the Sunrisers. The defending champions remain last on the log, four points behind Durban’s Super Giants.

    A sold-out Monday night crowd spurred on the home team with Sherfane Rutherford’s 53 off 27 balls (three fours, five sixes) lifting the Capitals to 185-6, before Gideon Peters ran through MI Cape Town’s middle-order with a double-wicket maiden over that restricted the defending champions to 132-7.

    AFRICA PICKS: Cricket betting tips and predictions

    Peters (3-32) was assisted by some mind-blowing catching by Dewald Brevis in the outfield. Brevis’ first grab saw him running around the boundary before clutching the ball in front of the grass banks before lunging forward in a full-stretch dive to secure a sensational catch just inches from the turf two balls later.

    This resulted in MICT losing four wickets for just 11 runs during a frenetic period that saw the visitors slump from 46-2 to 55-6. The visitors were unable to recover from this collapse with Reeza Hendricks’ 68* off 50 balls (fours fours, four sixes) the only innings of significance.

    The visitors had been in control of the first quarter of the game before Rutherford walked to the crease with the Capitals precariously placed at 89-4 with 7.1 overs remaining in the innings.

    When he was dismissed off the final ball, caught at long-on, the West Indies power-hitter had inflicted some serious damage.

    MICT’s death bowling and catching went walkabout during this period with both Rutherford and fellow slugger Brevis being dropped off consecutive Corbin Bosch deliveries.

    The swashbuckling pair made the visitors pay dearly with a blazing 69-run partnership off just 34 balls for the fifth wicket.

    Brevis’ consecutive sixes off MICT spearhead Kagiso Rabada will long be remembered by the Centurion faithful. The first was a no-look swipe over fine leg before utilising just one hand to smash the next length ball over the cover boundary.

    Rutherford, meanwhile, targeted Trent Boult, with the New Zealand swing-bowler over-pitching three times in one over which cost him 16 runs due to two maximums and a four.

    The Capitals took this momentum with them into the field and can now head into their remaining two matches, against the Paarl Royals at home and Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers, with confidence.

    Photo: Arjun Singh / Sportzpics for SA20

    Post by

    Dylan Johnson