MI Cape Town Crush Pretoria Capitals to Close Out a Perfect Record at Newlands
MI Cape Town secured their position as the top team in the SA20 season 3 with a dominant 95-run victory over the Pretoria Capitals, wrapping up a perfect home record at Newlands.
Cape Town: MI Cape Town secured their position as the top team in the SA20 season 3 with a dominant 95-run victory over the Pretoria Capitals, wrapping up a perfect home record at Newlands.
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Robin Peterson’s team followed the Paarl Royals’ lead by becoming the second team to finish the league phase unbeaten at home, with five wins at Newlands. With this win, MI Cape Town ended the league phase with a record-breaking 35 points.
Dominant Display from MI Cape Town
Despite making six changes to their lineup, MI Cape Town controlled the match from the start. The opening pair of Sediqullah Atal and Connor Esterhuizen put together a stunning 133-run stand for the first wicket. Atal’s 46-ball 77 thrilled the crowd, while Esterhuizen also contributed with a powerful 69 off 43 balls.
Delano Potgieter’s quick-fire 15-ball 26 helped MI Cape Town finish with 201/5, the highest total at Newlands this season.
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Impressive Bowling Performance
MI Cape Town’s bowling was equally dominant. Off-spinner Dane Piedt made an immediate impact by dismissing Capitals opener Will Jacks on the very first ball of the reply. Piedt, playing his debut Betway SA20 match for his hometown team, ended with impressive figures of 3/28 and was named Player of the Match.
The spin trio of Piedt, leg-spinner Thomas Kaber (3/21), and left-arm spinner George Linde (2/11) played a crucial role, collectively taking 8-60 to dismiss the Capitals for just 106 in 14 overs.
Stand-in Captain Colin Ingram’s Praise for Team Performance
Stand-in captain Colin Ingram expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and the overwhelming crowd support, noting that this season had been a significant improvement over the previous two years.
“The bowlers have been incredible, and we’ve fed off each other. The crowd support has been fantastic, and it has been extremely satisfying to see them backing us,” Ingram said.
Looking Ahead
MI Cape Town will next face Paarl Royals in Qualifier 1 at St George’s Park on Tuesday. The winner will secure a spot in the final, which will be held at the Wanderers on February 8.
