Du Plessis leads JSK to 123-7 in rain-curtailed MI Cape Town clash

A rasping 44 from 21 balls by Faf du Plessis led the Joburg Super Kings to a total of 123-7 from their 12 overs in a rain-disrupted SA20 match after Mumbai Indians Cape Town captain Rashid Khan won the delayed toss and chose to bowl first at Newlands on Tuesday.

Forty-one-year-old Du Plessis hammered a vintage 43 from just 18 balls with seven fours and two sixes before drizzle, which delayed the start of play by an hour, returned after six overs and forced the players from the field.

Du Plessis watched his opening partner, James Vince, slice a catch to mid off and Dian Forrester edge Corbin Bosch to ‘keeper Ryan Rickelton.

Du Plessis drove the MICT captain to long off just three balls after the restart where Reeza Hendricks claimed a brilliant boundary-juggling catch and Donovan Ferreira (7) hoiked Kagiso Rabada into the gloves of Rickelton.

Matthew de Villiers (21 from 15 balls) was bowled by Bosch and the early momentum was understandably lost in the curtailed innings.

Bosch was the pick of thee bowlers with 3-24 from his three overs while super stars Trent Boult (2-0-29-0) and Kagiso Rabada (2-0-27-1) received blunt treatment from Du Plessis.

No overs were lost after a start delayed by an hour but the match was reduced to 12-overs per side by the DLS system once play resumed.

The home side and defending champions find themselves in the ‘last chance saloon’ after just five matches which have yielded four losses and just two points courtesy of a washout against the Durban Super Giants at Kingsmead.

Victory is essential to keep their ailing playoff hopes alive.

The Super Kings, however, have made a roaring start to the tournament and remain the only unbeaten team with three wins and a no-result from their four matches and sit second on the log, two points behind the Sunrisers Eastern Cape who have played five matches.

MI CAPE TOWN: Ryan Rickelton (wkt), Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (capt), Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult.

JOBURG SUPER KINGS: Faf du Plessis (capt), Wiaan Mulder, James Vince, Matthew de Villiers, Donovan Ferreira (wkt), Shubham Ranjane, Akeal Hosein, Prenelan Subrayen, Dian Forrester, Nandre Burger, Richard Gleeson