Ryan Rickelton scored his fourth consecutive half-century to help MI Cape Town to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over the Paarl Royals in the Betway SA20 Cape derby at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday evening.
Rickelton, who ended on 94 not out, was gifted two lives during his unbeaten innings, once by David Miller when on seven and then by Mitchell van Buuren when on 72. Rickelton struck seven boundaries and six maximums from 52 balls, striking a six to end the match with 19 balls to spare.
Kieron Pollard had won the toss and asked the Royals to take first strike. Left-arm spinner Thomas Kaber (4-0-20-3) helped restrict the Royals to 172 for eight. In reply, Rickelton’s opening stand of 81 with Rassie van der Dussen set the tone for the chase, with MI Cape Town ending on 175 for two.
Rickelton and Van der Dussen were excellent up front, with the pair needing just 50 balls for their opening stand. Rickelton was dropped by Miller off the first ball bowled by Obed McCoy (3-0-31-0) with the score on 13. Van der Dussen himself struck four boundaries and two sixes from 28 balls before being caught at long on from the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi (4-0-35-2), who was the pick of the Royals’ bowlers, for 41.
Dewald Brevis (10) again flattered to deceive and holed out to Fabian Allen on the square-leg fence off Shamsi’s bowling. Once Brevis departed, Connor Esterhuizen (17 not out) and Rickelton then took their side home with an unbroken stand of 63 from just 39 balls.
The partnership was an excellent one with the pair turning one’s into two’s with regularity. Rickelton was then given a life late on in his innings when Van Buuren put the left-hander down at long on from the bowling of McCoy.
Rickelton finished off the match in style when he struck Lungi Ngidi for two fours and a six.
Earlier, Jos Buttler top-scored with 46 from 31 balls as he and fellow Englishman, Roy (38) handed the Royals a fast start with an opening stand of 62 from only 27 balls. Roy was particularly brutal against Kagiso Rabada (3-0-42-1), striking five sixes off the right-arm speedster, as well as a four from only 14 balls.
But Rabada had the final say as Roy tried to paddle Rabada around the corner, only to find Van der Dussen at short fine-leg off the final ball of Rabada’s second over. Sam Curran (4-0-25-1) then struck with the very next ball, having Wihan Lubbe (1) top-edging a pull shot to Rickelton behind the stumps.
The Royals kept the runs ticking but lost wickets just when a partnership was blooming. Buttler and Miller (20) added 42 from 37 balls before Miller was castled by Kaber with Buttler falling shortly thereafter, holing out to Esterhuizen at long-on from the bowling of George Linde (4-0-33-1).
Van Buuren struck two fours and a six from 24 balls but was caught in the deep by Curran from the bowling of Olly Stone (4-0-34-1) while Kaber accounted for Allen.
The Royals, unbeaten coming into this game, have yet to beat MI Cape Town in three attempts but will have a chance to do so in the return leg of their rivalry in Paarl on Sunday. The loss drops the Royals into second place on the log, with the Durban Super Giants moving into first while MI Cape Town climb one spot into third, now just four points adrift of the neighbours.
MI Cape Town: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Dewald Brevis, Sam Curran, Liam Livingston, Connor Esterhuizen, Keiron Pollard (capt),George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Olly Stone, Thomas Kaber.
Paarl Royals: Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Roy, Wihan Lubbe, David Miller (capt), Mitchell van Buuren, Andile Phehlukwayo, Fabian Allen, Bjorn Fortuin, Lingi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Obed McCoy.