Sa20 witnessed a breathtaking avalanche of runs as Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town lit up a sold-out Centurion on Friday night. Despite lightning and thundershowers briefly interrupting MI Cape Town’s innings, the excitement remained undimmed as the two sides combined for a staggering 417 runs in a batting spectacle.
With bowlers having dominated the early stages of Season 3, this contest belonged to the batters, reminiscent of last season’s record-breaking 462-run encounter at the same venue.
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Unfortunately for the home crowd, the Capitals fell 27 runs short of MI Cape Town’s imposing total of 222/3, officially ending their playoff hopes. Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Joburg Super Kings have now secured their spots in the Eliminator, set to be played at Centurion on February 5.
MI Cape Town’s innings began with a fiery start as Rassie van der Dussen (30 off 20 balls) and Ryan Rickelton (22 off 13 balls) smashed 45 runs in just 4.4 overs.
However, the real fireworks came from Reeza Hendricks and Dewald Breviswho delivered a masterclass in shot-making. The duo forged a stunning 142-run partnership off just 68 balls for the fourth wicket, with Hendricks finishing unbeaten on 77 off 44 balls (4×4, 5×6) and Brevis hammering 73 not out off 32 balls (6×4, 6×6).
“Absolutely (happy) for us to have a few wins on the bounce and play beautiful cricket. I am so excited for the boys! We played so great as a team and it’s even better off the field,” Brevis said.
“I have been working really hard in my off time. It’s the quiet time where you graft on your game and speak to the people who really care and most importantly enjoy the game and play with a smile and do whatever you can for the team.”
The Capitals fought valiantly in their chase, with Will Smeed (52 off 36 balls, 9×4) notching up his second half-century of the competition. However, MI Cape Town’s bowlers struck at crucial moments, restricting the home team to 195/8.
“Batted nicely in parts but just didn’t find the rhythm. Key wickets at key times left us short. I think it was a good wicket and I think we had a chance – just didn’t pull it off,” said Capitals skipper Kyle Verreynne.
“Our first five games came in 8-9 days or something like that. If you don’t get off to a good start, it’s tough to bring that back. In saying that, I think we played nice cricket and lost games along the way, which is disappointing. Been tough to get that rhythm and momentum. That’s why we are where we are.”
The two teams will face off again on Sunday at Newlands before MI Cape Town heads to St George’s Park for their Qualifier 1 showdown against PAARL ROSS on February 4.
