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Brevis, Potgieter lead MI Cape Town to victory

cricket09 January 2025 18:57| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Dewald Brevis and allrounder Delano Potgieter produced brilliant individual performances to guide Mumbai Indians Cape Town to a crushing 97-run victory against defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the opening match of the SA20 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Thursday evening.

Brevis smashed a brilliant 57 from just 29 balls to help MI Cape Town to a highly competitive total of 174-7 after being asked to bat first and Potgieter claimed two wickets in his first over before finishing with 5-10 as the home side were bundled out for just 77 in 15 overs to concede a bonus point.

Brevis was in scintillating form reaching his 50 from only 23 balls before finally holing out against Marco Jansen having belted two fours and six sixes in a virtuoso performance.

The visitors looked set for a modest total before George Linde and Potgieter added 42 unbroken runs for the eighth wicket from just 3.3 overs with a four and a six in Linde’s 23 from 17 balls while Potgieter crunched a match-changing 25 from only 12 balls with two fours and a six.

MICT’s Trent Boult Claimed two wickets in the third over of the run-chase to reduce the home side to 14-2 before Afghan allrounder, Azmatullah Omarzai, induced a top edge from Jordan Hermann which was expertly caught by Corbin Bosch at deep square leg.

Boult bowled Zak Crawley (12) helped by a nasty slog across the line while fellow Englishman Tom Abell nudged his first ball straight back to the genius New Zealand left-arm swing bowler.

Potgieter enjoyed the remarkable figures of 2-0-6-4 – including the prized wickets of Aiden Markram (19) and Devid Bedingham (0) - before bowling last man Richard Gleeson to finish with the eye-popping analysis of 3-0-10-5.

The visitors’ innings began poorly when Reeza Hendricks (0) toe-ended a backfoot punch against Jansen to cover in the first over but Connor Esterhuizen (22) and Colin Ingram (22) helped restore the balance before both fell to short balls from Englishman Gleeson and Beyers Swanepoel respectively after opener Rassie van der Dussen was bowled by offspinner Liam Dawson.

Another offspinner, Simon Harmer, had hard-hitting Afghan allrounder Omarzai (2) well caught by Jordan Hermann centimetres inside the long-off boundary before MICT captain Rashid Khan lashed his first ball against Gleeson straight into the air.

Gleeson was exceptional for the home side with 2-22 from his four overs but Jansen’s final over, costing 23, left him with figures of 2-38 and undoubtedly changed the tone of the match.

SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE: Jordan Hermann, Zak Crawley, Tom Abell, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs(w), David Bedingham, Beyers Swanepoel, Marco Jansen, Liam Dawson, Simon Harmer, Richard Gleeson

MI CAPE TOWN: Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Dewald Brevis, Colin Ingram, Connor Esterhuizen(w), Delano Potgieter, Azmatullah Omarzai, George Linde, Rashid Khan(c), Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult

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