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Rickelton smashes MICT to win over JSK, and top spot

golf18 January 2025 19:15| © MWP
By:Brendon Atwell
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Ryan Rickelton smashed a breathtaking half-century to guide MI Cape Town to an emphatic seven-wicket, bonus-point victory over the Joburg Super Kings in an entertaining Betway SA20 match at World Sports Betting Newlands on Saturday evening.

Rickelton, fresh from his century in the test match against Pakistan just two weeks ago, smashed a 39-ball 89 as the home side reached 173 for three in reply to the Super Kings’ 172 for five after Faf du Plessis had won the toss and elected to bat first.

Rickelton was unforgiving on any of the bowlers, smashing eight boundaries and six maximums and fell with MI Cape Town just 11 runs short of their target of 173. The foundation for the chase had been laid with perfection as Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen added 70 for the first stand from just 41 deliveries.

Van der Dussen too was aggressive up front. Even though both started off sedately, adding just eight in the first two overs, Van der Dussen eventually cracked four boundaries and a six before being run out at the strikers end for 39.

Van der Dussen, who faced 24 balls, turned for a second run, only to be outdone with a throw from Devon Conway on the square leg fence with Jonny Bairstow breaking the stumps with the gloves. The visitors hoped that the end of Van der Dussen would bring them back into the game but Reeza Hendricks and Rickelton had other ideas.

The pair needed just 50 balls to add 92 for the second wicket with Hendricks cracking four boundaries and a six to end unbeaten on 34 from 28 balls. Rickelton had looked to end the match as quickly as possible, cracking back-to-back sixes off Matheesha Pathirana (3-0-34-1) but then launched a ball straight to Du Plessis on the long-off boundary.

The loss brought Dewald Brevis to the wicket, only to clobber his first ball straight back past the bowler for six. Brevis, with a rush of blood to his head, looked to be swinging for the fences with every ball faced, eventually top-edging David Wiese (2.5-0-20-1) to Imran Tahir at short fine-leg for eight.

Evan Jones suffered the most against Rickelton, conceding 42 runs from his two overs while Tabraiz Shamsi (2-0-25-0) and Donovan Ferreira (3-0-30-0) struggled to contain the hosts. Tahir himself, at the tender age of 45, was the pick of the bowlers alongside Wiese, ending with 0-22 in three overs.

Earlier Du Plessis had gone past 11 000 T20 career runs with a wonderful 61 while sharing in an opening stand of 97 with Conway (35). Corbin Bosch (3-0-24-1) had broken the stand, having Du Plessis caught at long-off by Rashid Khan after striking six boundaries and three wonderful sixes from just 38 balls.

Conway was given a life when on 33 by Brevis at long-off from the bowling of Hendricks (2-0-7-2) but fell just two runs later, being stumped by Rickelton. Hendricks would – surprisingly – grab his second scalp when Wihan Lubbe (0) drove a ball straight to Brevis at short extra-cover.

George Linde (4-0-39-1) prised the wicket of Leus du Plooy, caught on the fence by Rashid while the captain himself outfoxed Ferreira (18), drawing the batsman down the pitch, only for Rickelton to whip the bails off.

Ferreira, who faced 11 balls, struck two fours and a six in a 38-run stand with Bairstow for the fourth wicket. Bairstow, who ended unbeaten on 43, struck two fours and four massive sixes from 27 balls to help the Super Kings to 172.

The win moves MI Cape Town to the top of the SA20 log, with 14 points from five matches, two ahead of their neighbours, the Paarl Royals, who have a game in hand. The Super Kings, who started the day top of the standings, drop to third with 10 points after four matches.

The Super Kings stay in the Cape, travelling to Paarl to face-off against the Royals on Monday while MI Cape Town travel to Durban to take on the Durban Super Giants on Tuesday.

MI CAPE TOWN: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Colin Ingram, Dewald Brevis, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan (capt), Delano Potgieter, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult.

JOBURG SUPER KINGS: Faf du Plessis (capt), Devon Conway, Leus du Plooy, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Wihan Lubbe, Donovan Ferreira, David Wiese, Evan Jones, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Matheesha Pathirana.

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