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Durban’s Super Giants power to victory over MI Cape Town

cricket13 January 2023 19:06| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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A strong all-round batting performance from Durban’s Super Giants saw them power to a five-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians Cape Town in their Betway SA20 match at Newlands on Friday night.

Set 153 to win, most of the Super Giants' top order got off to solid starts without kicking on, but it was enough for them to ease home in the end.

MI CT’s Olly Stone tried to make things interesting, picking up 4-28 in 3.3 overs, but without support from the rest of the bowling department it wasn’t enough.

The Super Giants' chase got off to a flying start as Kyle Mayers, 34 off 23 balls (4x4; 2x6) and Quinton de Kock (11) clubbed 35 off the first 3.2 overs, before De Kock became the first wicket to fall, sharply caught by Delano Potgieter at short fine leg off the bowling of Stone.

That didn’t stop Mayers who continued his assault in the next over, getting down on one knee to smash a six over deep square leg, followed by powering a four over extra cover off the bowling of Rashid Khan, as they reached the end of the powerplay on 60/1.

A top over from George Linde then ended with the back of Mayers, as a soft push found the edge, with Grant Roelofsen doing the rest behind the stumps, leaving the Super Giants on 62/2 after seven overs.

Wiaan Mulder, 30 off 26 balls (4x4), and Heinrich Klaasen, 36 off 22 balls (4x4; 1x6 set about a 56-run third-wicket stand off 34 balls, which seemed to put them on course for a bonu- point win as they reached 118/3 after 12.2 overs.

However, Stone had other ideas as he returned to rattle the visitors' chase with three quick wickets, as he had Klaasen caught by a Ryan Rickleton stunner, bowed Mulder and trapped Dwaine Pretorius for a second-ball duck as the Super Giants slipped to 130/5 after 14.3 overs.

Keemo Paul, 20 not out off eight balls, however made sure that there would be no stunning comeback as he slammed three sixes, and along with Jason Holder (11no) helped them cruise over the line with 21 balls to spare.

ROELOFSEN DELIVERS

At the start of the game the Super Giants won the toss and chose to bowl first, with MI CT reaching a competitive 152/8 at the end of their 20 overs.

A 60-run fifth wicket stand off 48 balls between Roelofsen, 52 off 44 balls (4x4; 1x6) and Linde, 33 off 25 balls (4x6) was important in getting them to the mark after the visitors got off to a good start with the ball.

It was the perfect start as Mayers bowled Dewald Brevis with a terrific inswinging Yorker off the second ball of the day.

MI CT slipped to 24/2 after four overs, when Rickleton (14), who had just deposited Reece Topley for the first six of the match a few balls before, tried to pull the last ball of the over only to edge it to keeper De Kock.

The hosts finally got themselves going in the fifth over as Roelofsen targeted Hardus Viljoen, crunching him for three boundaries, one edged and two through the point region, before they finished the powerplay on 44/2.

The next six overs completely belonged to the Super Giants' spinners as Prenelan Subrayen and Keshav Maharaj conceded just 21 runs while picking up two wickets in that period.

Both wickets came in Subrayen’s seventh over, with Rassie van der Dussen (1) hitting the ball straight to Paul at deep midwicket, and Sam Curran then trapped LBW for a third-ball duck, as MI CT slipped to 45/4.

Roelofsen and Linde steadied the ship over the next five overs, taking the score to 65/4 after 12 overs, before finally unleashing.

The 13th over from Subrayen disappeared for 19 runs, as Roelofsen crunched a six straight down the ground, followed by Linde sending one down the ground and then lofting another over long-on.

Another big over followed as the 14th from Maharaj went for 17, as a single off the first ball saw Roelofsen bring up a well-deserved half century, while Linde crashed the last two balls over long-on for sixes, to bring up the teams hundred, as 36 came off the two overs.

A clever bowling switch saw De Kock bring his pace bowlers back, which paid off immediately as Holder had Roelofsen caught, skying the ball to Topley at short third man, while Viljoen had Linde sharply caught by Pretorius at backward point, as they slipped to 106/6 after 15.1 overs.

Khan (14) hit Topley for a four and a six, before top edging the bowler to Maharaj at third man, with the score 121/7 after 17.4 overs.

A superb finishing cameo from Potgieter, 25 off 11 balls, saw him crash three sixes in the last two overs as 28 runs came off them to get them to their total, which in the end didn't prove enough.

MI CAPE TOWN: Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickleton, Sam Curran, Rassie van der Dussen, Grant Roelfsen (wk), Delano Potgieter, George Linde, Rashid Khan (capt), Duan Jansen, Olly Stone, Jofra Archer

DURBAN’S SUPER GIANTS: Kyle Myers, Quinton de Kock (capt, wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder, Jason Holder, Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Hardus Viljoen, Keemo Paul, Reece Topley

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