Pretoria Capitals delivered an inspired all-round performance to send MI Cape Town crashing to a 53-run defeat on a balmy Betway SA20 evening at Centurion.
The bonus-point victory propelled Pretoria Capitals to 20 points and top of the Betway SA20 table with Sunrisers Eastern Cape (19) dropping down to second.
MI Cape Town’s playoff aspirations are hanging on by the barest of margins with only two matches remaining against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
A sold-out Monday night crowd spurred on the home team with Sherfane Rutherford (53 off 27 balls (3×4, 5×6) lifting the Capitals to 185/6 through his maiden Betway SA20 half-century before Gideon Peters ran through MI Cape Town’s middle-order with a double-wicket maiden over that restricted the defending champions to 132/7.
Peters (3/32) was assisted by some mind-blowing catching by Dewald Brevis in the outfield. Brevis’ first grab saw him running around the boundary before clutching the ball in front of the grass banks before lunging forward in a full-stretch dive to secure a sensational catch just inches from the turf two balls later.
This resulted in MI Cape Town losing four wickets for just 11 runs during a frenetic period that saw the visitors slump from 46/2 to 55/6. The visitors were unable to recover from this collapse with Reeza Hendricks (68 not out, 50 balls, 4×4, 4×6) playing a lone hand.
MI Cape Town had been in control of the first quarter of the game before Rutherford walked to the crease with the Capitals precariously placed at 89/4 with 7.1 overs remaining in the innings.
When he was dismissed off the final ball, caught a long-on, the West Indies power-hitter had inflicted some serious damage.
MI Cape Town’s death bowling and catching went walkabout during this period with both Rutherford and fellow slugger Brevis being dropped off consecutive Corbin Bosch deliveries.
The swashbuckling pair made the visitors pay dearly with a blazing 69-run partnership off just 34 balls for the fifth wicket.
Brevis’ consecutive sixes off MI Cape Town spearhead Kagiso Rabada will long be remembered by the Centurion faithful. The first was a no-look swipe over fine leg before utilising just one hand to smash the next length ball over the cover boundary.
Rutherford, meanwhile, targeted Trent Boult with the New Zealand swing-bowler overpitching three times in one over which cost him 16 runs due to two maximums and a boundary.
The Capitals took this momentum with them into the field and can now head to their remaining two matches against Paarl Royals at home and Joburg Super Kings away at the Wanderers with confidence.
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