Faf du Plessis lead the Joburg Super Kings to a bonus point, 10-wicket (D/L method) win against MI Cape Town in a rain-interrupted Betway SA 20 match at Newlands on Monday night.
Needing 98 in eight overs, Du Plessis with an undefeated 50 from 20 balls (5x4, 3x6) and Leus du Plooy 41 not out from 14 balls (2x4, 4x6), reached the target in just 5.4 overs to see the Super Kings move to fourth in the standings.
At a gloomy and windy Newlands with rain always a threat, Du Plessis won the toss and opted to bowl first on a pitch which, he admitted, he was not certain about.
Rassie van der Dussen and the in-form Ryan Rickelton opened the Cape Town innings, the former falling for 16 as the total reached 43/1 after the six-over powerplay.
As the last ball of the powerplay was bowled, the rain swept down from Table Mountain, lasting about two-and-a-half hours before the match was reduced to eight overs a side, restarting at 9pm.
Rickelton and Liam Livingstone resumed the innings as the Super Kings turned to legspinner Imran Tahir to bowl the first of the final two overs.
Although the over cost 13 runs, Tahir picked up Livingstone (3) and Rickelton (23), leaving Wiese to bowl the final over to Cape Town skipper Kieron Pollard, who had come in at No 4, and Sam Curran.
Pollard smashed an unbeaten 33 from just 10 balls (1x4, 4x6), scoring 24 off the last over to take his side to 80/3 in their eight overs.
Tahir took 2-13 in his one over and Lizaad Williams 1-15 in two overs.
With the powerplay being the first two overs of an innings and no bowler allowed more than two overs, the Super Kings openers came out with purpose and intent, needing to score the 98 for victory in 6.2 overs or less for that important extra point.
Du Plooy hit the first two balls of the first over bowled by Sri Lankan Nuwan Thusara for six as 18 runs were scored and Man of the Match Du Plessis teed-off from the other end, smashing Kagiso Rabada for the same amount of runs in the second over.
At the end of the powerplay, the Super Kings were flying at 36/0.
Offspinner George Linde stepped up for the third over as the carnage continued with 21 runs scored.
The drizzle started to come down again and it was a case of the umpires keeping the players on the field for five completed overs to constitute a match.
Always ahead of the Duckworth Lewis comparison, Du Plessis and Du Plooy delivered a T20 batting masterclass, Du Plessis reaching his first 50 of this year’s tournament after a lean tournament with Du Plooy continuing his consistent form.
𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 #MICTvJSK
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The match was finished with a wide from Pollard.
All five bowlers used by Cape Town went for more than 12 to the over, an indication of the Super Kings’ batting seeing the ball replaced after just 3.5 overs.
Du Plessis emphasised the importance of what he called a massive win, despite the game being somewhat of a lottery, while Pollard, disappointed at the outcome, gave credit to some great batting.
MI CAPE TOWN: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton(w), Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Kieron Pollard(c), Dewald Brevis, Delano Potgieter, George Linde, Thomas Kaber, Kagiso Rabada, Nuwan Thushara
JOBURG SUPER KINGS: Faf du Plessis(c), Reeza Hendricks, Leus du Plooy, Wayne Madsen, Moeen Ali, Donovan Ferreira(w), David Wiese, Lizaad Williams, Kyle Simmonds, Nandre Burger, Imran Tahir