The Joburg Super Kings claimed a six-run victory over MI Cape Town in their rain-affected Betway SA20 encounter contested in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Super Kings captain, Faf du Plessis, saw the dampness in the air and elected to bowl first at the toss. The home side's bowlers backed their captain's decision by producing a masterclass on their way to restricting MI Cape Town to 140/6 in 20 overs. The Super Kings squeezed in 11.3 overs between showers, however, they did enough to stay ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern required score. They had scored 82/3 when the match was called off.
This is the Super Kings' first home win against MI Cape Town. The visitors won the two sides' last two encounters at the Wanderers.
Rain has a big say as the Joburg Super Kings win their #BetwaySA20 season opener 🦁🟡#BetwaySA20 | #SummerOfCricket pic.twitter.com/yFSyGm7FgS
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 11, 2025
Faf du Plessis ensured that his side was ahead of the DLS required run rate through the first 7.1 overs of his side's innings. The seasoned campaigner was belligerent, hammering 30 off 23 on a slightly difficult surface. The visitors thought they were in with a chance when Dewald Brevis executed an outstanding catch at the deep cover boundary. Faf du Plessis was looking in fine form and it took some incredible athleticism from the 20-year-old to dismiss the Super Kings captain.
Dewald Brevis - you beauty 🤯🤯
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 11, 2025
This is a magnificent catch to dismiss Faf du Plessis 👏👏
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Du Plessis shared a 30-run second-wicket partnership with Leus Du Plooy (24*). After Du Plessis' dismissal, Du Plooy combined with Johnny Bairstow (14) for a 36-run third-wicket stand that kept the side ahead of the required rate. Du Plooy and Bairstow did enough to keep the hosts ahead of the required rate.
The ball wasn't coming onto the bat as expected in the highveld. Nothing better illustrated that than MI Cape Town's desultory innings earlier in the day. The visitors scored a single boundary in the first 10 overs of their innings.
“It was a tricky wicket. In both innings, we saw the new ball moved a lot so you have to keep that intent. One of those innings where it's nice to get the team off to a good start,” Du Plessis shared during the post-match presentations, where he was adjudged to be the Player of the Match.
MI Cape recovered from the early setback and mounted a strong rearguard fightback in the second half of their innings after struggling for the first 10 overs. The fightback began with a momentum-generating 43-run partnership between Dewald Brevis (14) and George Linde. However, Brevis was unable to replicate his performance from their opening fixture against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Frustration for MI Cape Town 😠
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 11, 2025
Colin Ingram goes for the big shot and is caught on the boundary 👇
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Linde then joined hands with Delano Potgieter to mount a brilliant rearguard fightback and lead the visitors to a respectable total. Linde top-scored for MI Cape Town with an unbeaten 48 off 35 balls. The allrounder struck seven of the 17 boundaries hit by the visitors. He stabilised the innings with two partnerships after a terrible start by the Western Cape side. Potgieter also struck seven boundaries, four fours and three sixes. He was also unbeaten on 44 off 22.
This is the second time the allrounders have come to the rescue of MI Cape Town in consecutive innings. Their 65-run seventh-wicket partnership provided MI Cape Town with a respectable total.
Linde played a cameo for MI Cape Town in their first match, remaining unbeaten on 23 in a late surge that helped his side to a winning total. In that encounter, he shared a productive and unbroken 42-run partnership with Delano Potgieter.
David Wiese showcased his T20 experience with an array of slower-ball deliveries. The seasoned campaigner was unplayable for most of the innings. He finished with a single wicket for 19 runs in four overs. Super Kings debutant Lutho Sipamla gave a good account of himself as he finished with one wicket for 31 runs. Evan Jones and Tabraiz Shamsi also bagged a wicket each.
KG Rabada is one of the best in the world 🤩✨
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 11, 2025
Bairstow had no idea where this was going 👇
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Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers for MI Cape Town with two wickets for 10 runs in 2.3 overs. Trent Boult was the other wicket-taker with one wicket for 20 in three overs.
JOBURG SUPER KINGS: Faf du Plessis (capt), Devon Conway (wk), Leus du Plooy, Jonny Bairstow, Wihan Lubbe, Donovan Ferreira, David Wiese, Evan Jones, Lutho Sipamla, Matheesha Pathirana, Tabraiz Shamsi
MI CAPE TOWN: Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Colin Ingram, Dewald Brevis, Azmatullah Ormazai, Delano Potgieter, George Linde, Rashid Khan (capt), Trent Boult