SA20: MI Cape Town defeats Paarl Royal to enter maiden final
SA20: MI Cape Town defeats Paarl Royal to enter maiden final
Continuing its dream run in the tournament, MI Cape Town defeated Paarl Royals by 39 runs in the First Qualifier to enter its maiden SA20 final.
The final will be played at the Wanderers on Saturday, while Paarl Royals will play the Second Qualifier on Thursday against the winner of the Eliminator between two-time champion Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday.
MI CapeTown scored 199 for 4 and then dismissed Paarl Royals for 160 in 19.4 overs.
In-form openers Rassie Van Der Dussen (40 off 32 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes) and Ryan Rickelton (44 off 27, 4 fours and 2 sixes) again gave MI CapeTown a flying start, smashing 66 runs in powerplay.
This was MI Cape Town’s fifth win on the trot this season, having last lost to the same team on January 15 at Paarl, while it was a third consecutive loss for Paarl Royals.
Paarl Royals’ in-form bowler Kwena Maphaka conceded 15 runs in the fourth over, while Bjorn Fortuin gave away 20 in the next over.
Royals captain David Miller brought Dunith Wellalage into the attack in the seventh over. He could have got an immediate breakthrough but Mujeeb Ur Rahman dropped Rickelton’s catch when he was on 33.
Dayyaan Galiem finally broke the 87-run opening partnership when Van Der Dussen gave a simple catch to Miller at mid-off. Rickelton too departed in the next over of Wellalage caught at the boundary by Mitchell Owen.
MI Cape Town lost three wickets for six runs and found itself in trouble at 93/3. But George Linde and Dewald Brevis did not let the momentum slip and built a 74-run partnership in just 32 balls to give the team the highest total at St George’s park this season.
Linde was, especially aggressive, scoring 26 runs off 14 balls. Delano Potgieter (32 not out off 17) added the finishing touches to the MI CapeTown innings.
Royals began their chase confidently with the find of the season Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Owen taking 21 runs off Trent Boult’s first over. However, Kagiso Rabada ended Pretorius’ (15 off 6 ) stay early to give Royals a big jolt.
The Royals were under constant pressure from thereon with only Miller offering some resistance by scoring 45 off 26. Former IPL star Dinesh Karthik made 31 but the rest of the batters failed to live up to expectations.
MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan then clean bowled Wellalage to become the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket as he went ahead of West Indies great Dwayne Bravo (631 wicket).
The winning side’s pace-bowling star Rabada said that the team effort and young players’ hunger to perform had helped the team immensely this season.
“The local players are stepping up and everyone in the team is looking to make an impact. For the final also we will take one step at a time, will not over-think and do what we have been doing in the tournament so far,” he said.
