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MI Cape Town ended Sunrisers East Cape’s dominance over the SA20, becoming the new champions of the South Africa’s premier T20 competition with a commanding 76-run victory at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on Saturday, a performance that underlined their top billing throughout the competition this…Read More
Dewald Brevis in action in SA20 final
MI Cape Town ended Sunrisers East Cape’s dominance over the SA20, becoming the new champions of South Africa’s premier T20 competition with a commanding 76-run victory at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on Saturday, a performance that underlined their top billing throughout the competition this year.
Led by their batting prowess, MICT posted their highest-ever total of 181/8 at this venue this year before bundling the two-time defending champions SEC to 105 to be crowned new champions in front of a partisan Wanderers crowd who were behind SEC.
Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brewis’ breezy cameos helped MICT post a formidable total after Rashid Khan won the toss and opted to bat first, this being the final and with the ball, it was a clinical performance from the bowling unit. Trent Boult led the way with a miserly spell of 4-0-9-2, while Rashid Khan’s four went for only 19. He added the key wicket of in-form Tony de Zorzi. But it was Rabada who had the best figures of the night with 3.4-0-25-4
Rabada also drew first blood getting David Bedigham caught behind for 5, before Boult added SEC’s Eliminator hero Jordan Hermann’s wicket for just 1 off 5. From 8/2, it was always going to be an uphill task for SEC and even though Tom Abell and de Zorzi tried to fight back, Rashid’s wicket of de Zorzi came at the most opportune time. With shot-making not that easy Rashid and George Linde’s economical spells meant SEC skipper Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs did not have much time to settle in and in a bid to up the ante Markram sliced one off Linde to backward point, where Rabada helped on to a crucial catch, in the 12th over. Stubbs’ departure in 15th to Boult – caught at mid-off – all but was the knockout punch delivered by MICT to SEC.
MICT wrapped up the game without much trouble as SEC final four wickets fell like a pack of cards as they completed a stunning turnaround after finishing at the bottom of the table in the last two seasons to be the new SA20 champions.
Earlier, MICT were off to a flying start courtesy of their star performer Rickelton who clobbered two sixes and a four of Marco’s Jansen’s first over to show his intent and by the time the Rickelton departed, he had powered MICT to 52 in 5 overs. Rassie van der Dussen, on the other hand, was struggling to get going.
While the track was not quite a belter, Rickelton took the pitch out of the equation with some power-hitting countering SEC bowlers short of length ploy and managed to hit fours sixes, and a four en routeto his 15-ball 33.
SEC made a brief comeback immediately after the Powerplay quickly claiming the dangerous Reeza Hendricks for a two-ball duck, followed by van der Dussen I in the 9th over. While Richard Gleeson picked Hendricks, Liam Dawson outfoxed van der Dussen as he was stumped for 23 off 25.
Connor Esterhuizen, drafted in for the final in place of Sediqullah Atal, had the tough job of steadying the innings, but in veteran campaigner George Linde, he found a more than able ally as he hit some lusty blows – three to be precise – to shift the momentum away from SEC. Linde threw caution to the wind with two maximums off Dawson down the ground and before clobbering Markram in the same region.
Dawson though had the last laugh claiming his target, but Linde’s 14-ball 20 laid the platform for Brewis to come and deliver and the young upstart did exactly that. Brevis, did not take time, to set his eyes on taking on Dawson with back-to-back sixes in the 13th over.
Andile Simelane, who came in for the injured Ottneil Baartman had a tough initiation in the final as Brewis took him for a six and four. 14 runs came of the pacer’s first over. Craig Overton was brought in by Markram to stem the flow of runs he took was hit for a six. Jansen then provided the crucial breakthrough when Brewis was holed out at long-off bt Markram, a ball after he was dropped at deep extra by Simelane.
Brewis breezy cameo of 28 off 18 ensured MICT were on track for a formidable total and coupled by some shoddy fielding from SEC in the backend, and Esterhuizen’s (39 off 26) meaty blows ensured MICT posted the highest total at this ground in this year’s competition, which for SEC was too much of a task to gun down.
With this win, Cape Town becomes the 4th MI franchise to win their respective league after MI New York (MLC in 2024), MI Emirates (ILT20 in 2023) and of course the Mumbai Indians – the five-time IPL champions.
Brief Scores: MI Cape Town 181/8 (Connor Esterhuizen 39; Dewald Brewis 38; Richard Gleeson 2/22) beat Sunrisers East Cape 105 (Tom Abell 30; Toni de Zorzi 26; Kagiso Rabada 4/25) by 76 runs.
- Location :
Johannesburg, South Africa
