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Durban’s Super Giants gain bonus-point win over MI Cape Town

cricket23 January 2024 19:47| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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Durban’s Super Giants picked up a bonus-point win when they beat MI Cape Town by 36 runs in their Betway SA20 match at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday night.

The result maintained the Durban franchise’s 100 per cent record against MI Cape Town in the first two years of the competition and also enabled them to move up to second in the table behind the Paarl Royals after a recent dip in form in which they lost two consecutive matches.

Asked to bat first by Cape Town’s captain, Kieron Pollard, the Super Giants struggled initially against some fine spin bowling from player of the match George Linde and Thomas Kaber but a solid 48 from Matthew Breetzke and an explosive unbeaten 38 in 20 balls, including six fours, from Wiaan Mulder enabled them to post a competitive total of 157 for six.

In reply Cape Town lost their most productive batsmen, Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, cheaply up front with only Sam Curran (38 off 27 balls, including two sixes) threatening to get his team back in the match.

But with Curran’s dismissal, toe-ending a full toss from Marcus Stoinis to deep midwicket, the home team crumbled to 121 for nine before a large but disappointed crowd.

The Super Giants made the best use of a slow, dry, spin-friendly track with left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad claiming 3-22 off his four overs while Keshav Maharaj also did a good job, taking 1-14 off three overs.

They were well backed up by their Aussie medium-pacer, Stoinis, who took pace off the ball cleverly to claim 3-18 while Afghan paceman Naveen-ul-Haq took 2-23.

LINDE STRIKES TWICE IN TWO BALLS

Earlier, MI Cape Town spinners Linde and Kaber dominated the first half of DSG’s innings with some superbly controlled bowling.

Left-arm finger-spinner Linde claimed two wickets in consecutive deliveries – including the prize scalp of Quinton de Kock first ball – and conceded only 15 runs in his four overs, while left-arm wrist-spinner Kaber grabbed the wickets of dangermen Heinrich Klaasen and Jon-Jon Smuts – the latter courtesy of a brilliant diving catch on the square-leg boundary by Dewald Brevis – finishing with 2/20.

The two spinners conceded only one boundary between them, taking a combined 4-35 in eight overs.

But if the two spinners ruled the roost, the pace bowlers were not so effective with Curran particularly expensive, going for 50 runs in his four overs while Kagiso Rabada and Olly Stone conceded 70 runs between them.

The home team would have been pleased with their progress at the 15-over mark with the Super Giants limping to 97 for five, but, helped by an explosive cameo from Mulder to go with his brilliant half-century in a losing cause against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in his last innings, the visitors slammed 60 runs off the last five overs to post a competitive total.

The Super Giants’ most consistent batsman, opener Matthew Breetzke, also made a valuable contribution, batting through to the end of the 17th over for his 48 off 46 balls, effectively holding the innings together.

In a valuable flourish at the end of the innings, Mulder and Breetzke struck 39 in 23 balls for the sixth wicket before Mulder and Maharaj hit 24 off 12 balls.

Earlier, though, it was all about the spin of Linde and Kaber with the former bowling Tony de Zorzi (20) and De Kock with consecutive deliveries.

De Kock has so far had a disappointing tournament, hitting only 62 runs in six innings.

In a bid to help him find his form at Newlands, he dropped down to three in the order – without success.

MI CAPE TOWN: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Dewald Brevis, Connor Esterhuizen, Liam Livingstone, Kieron Pollard (capt), Sam Curran, George Linde, Thomas Kaber, Kagiso Rabada, Olly Stone.

DURBAN'S SUPER GIANTS: Matthew Breetzke, Quinton de Kock (wk), JJ Smuts, Heinrich Klaasen, Marcus Stoinis, Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Reece Topley, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq.

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