MI Cape Town Beats Joburg Super Kings Big Time! SA20 League 2024

In the first edition of the SA20 League MI Cape Town struggled with the bat. It was the chief reason why they didn’t manage to make it to the playoffs in 2023.

They struggled in the power play and went through various opening combinations. It was rather disappointing for their supporters, considering the firepower they had at their disposal with the bat.

But now, a year later in the second edition of the tournament, they have found an opening partnership who in turn are finding the middle of their bats with regular brutality, as the Joburg Super Kings found out in their SA20 League match against the Capetonians at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.

MI Cape Town produced a near flawless T20 performance to demolish the Super Kings by 98 runs. The victory was set up by some incredible batting by their openers Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton, who set the platform for their massive total of 243/5.

Van der Dussen hit 104 (50 balls, 9x4, 6x6) and Rickelton smashed 98 (49b, 6x4, 8x6) after the Super Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field. It was definately a decision influenced by a brief thunderstorm, which delayed the start of match by about 45 minutes.

The Joburg Super Kings never got going during their innings, as MI Cape Town showed just as much intensity with the ball and in the field.

It was MI Cape Town’s second successive match scoring over 200, as they also produced a top batting display in their first match against the Durban Super Giants, which they ended up losing by 11 runs following an untimely rain shower at Kingsmead.

Van der Dussen, who took some criticism for his slowish pace he batted with in Durban, would have been very happy with his knock, after batting like his destructive self.

“I love playing here (at the Wanderers). When I entered the stadium, I went to the wrong changeroom, force of habit!” joked Van der Dussen.

“I told Polly (MI Cape Town captain Kieron Pollard) that it may be a good toss to lose. It was moving about with the new ball, but we decided to keep showing intent and got them off their lengths while getting the momentum.

“These two games have shown that Ryan and I make a nice partnership. We know each other’s games pretty well. He got off to a flyer in Durban and really ran with that momentum. Today it was my turn.”

After a calm first couple of overs, the MI Cape Town opens climbed into new Proteas fast-bowling sensation Nandre Burger, scoring 27 runs from his second over. Burger’s first over went for just two runs!

The duo, who actually play their domestic cricket with the Lions at the Wanderers, went on to hit 72 runs in the six-over power play, before hitting veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir for 16 in the seventh over to make it clear that they won’t be letting their foot off the gas.

The duo recorded the highest partnership in the SA20 League, with Van der Dussen going to his century off the first two balls of the 14th over, when he hit a four and a six off the bowling of Romario Shepherd.

Van der Dussen was dropped by Donovan Ferreira in the 15th over on 102 with the score on 197, but the Super Kings fielder made no mistake three runs later when he caught Van der Dussen off the bowling of Tahir.

Lizaad Williams then got the wicket of Dewald Brevis, which halted some of the Cape Town side’s momentum. Du Plessis took a magnificent catch to get rid of Brevis, running backwards before launching himself forward to take the ball one-handed.

MI Cape Town could have easily got well over 250 on the day. Going into the last over, Rickelton had only faced 12 balls in the previous five overs, as he got stuck in the 90s, his partners not rotating the strike.

He was eventually dismissed by Burger with the second ball of the final over, caught behind after flashing at a delivery outside the off-stump.

Van der Dussen had sympathy for his opening partner after he missed his first T20 century by two runs.

“I”m very disappointed (that Rickelton couldn't get to his century). Ryan is a quality player, he had a bit of a lean run last year and so far this year he has put a lot of work into his game and I have high expectations of him this season. I told him his time will come,” said Van der Dussen.

The Johannesburg outfit needed to play out of their socks to get close to the MI Cape Town target, but their effort started in disastrous fashion. Proteas star Reeza Hendricks was run out after confusion in the middle with batting partner and captain Du Plessis with the score on three in the second over.

Du Plessis then made his way back to the changeroom two overs later when he skied a ball to Beuran Hendricks off the bowling of left-arm spinner George Linde.

It looked like the Super Kings were playing on a different pitch, as the wickets kept tumbling. But it was actually just the scoreboard pressure combined with some top bowling.

Leus du Plooy was the only top-order batsman to really get going, as he played some dashing shots on his way to 48 off just 24 balls, which included six fours and two sixes.

But he became the second player to be run out in the innings, which left the lower order with an impossible task. Shepherd hit a few lusty blows during his 19-ball cameo of 34 runs, but it was not enough, even for a losing bonus point.

Joburg Super Kings captain Du Plessis says he was surprised by the nature of the pitch after winning the toss and putting MI Cape Town in to bat.

“I thought the wicket would be a bit stickier. But they batted really well, I thought we gave them a few soft balls early on,” said Du Plessis.

“Rassie and Ryan put on a good partnership, and that is really difficult to defend on this ground. It felt at one stage that we were going to chase 300.

“As a batting unit we weren’t great, but it felt like we needed to get 30 almost every over. We lost a few soft wickets as well.”