Pretoria Capitals spectacularly ignited their SA20 Season 4 campaign on New Year's Eve, registering a commanding 85-run bonus-point victory over MI Cape Town at Newlands. The visitors posted a formidable total of 220 for 5 before dismantling the home side for a mere 135, with all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford orchestrating a memorable performance.
Capitals' Remarkable Recovery After Early Wobble
Electing to bat first after being put in, the Capitals' innings got off to a shaky start. A fit-again Kagiso Rabada led a probing opening spell for MI Cape Town, reducing the visitors to 36 for 3 within the Powerplay. The early pressure was immense, but a crucial fourth-wicket partnership between Shai Hope and Wihan Lubbe steadied the ship.
Hope played a composed knock of 45 runs from just 30 deliveries, while Lubbe anchored the recovery with a fluent 60 off 36 balls. Their calculated aggression laid a solid platform for a devastating finish in the death overs.
Rutherford and Brevis Unleash Carnage at Newlands
The final five overs of the Capitals' innings turned into a brutal display of power-hitting. Sherfane Rutherford and Dewald Brevis combined for a breathtaking partnership of 86 runs in a mere 27 balls. The duo plundered 92 runs in the last five overs at a staggering run rate of 18.2.
Sherfane Rutherford was the chief destroyer, smashing an unbeaten 47 from only 15 deliveries. His innings was studded with six massive sixes, including a sequence of four consecutive maximums off bowler Dewald Pretorius in the penultimate over. Brevis provided perfect support with a rapid 36 not out from 13 balls, ensuring the Capitals posted a daunting target.
MI Cape Town's Chase Collapses After Promising Start
In response, MI Cape Town's openers, Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, gave their team a brisk start with a 60-run stand inside the Powerplay. However, once both set batters fell in quick succession, the chase lost all momentum and quickly unraveled.
Nicholas Pooran offered a brief glimmer of hope with a violent counterattack, hitting spinner Keshav Maharaj for four consecutive sixes in a six-ball 25. Maharaj, however, had the final laugh, dismissing Pooran and finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 28 to break the backbone of the middle order.
The innings then folded completely as Sherfane Rutherford capped off his dream night with a career-best bowling performance. The West Indian all-rounder claimed 4 wickets for 24 runs, sealing a dominant victory for the Pretoria Capitals and handing MI Cape Town a heavy defeat.
Brief Scores: Pretoria Capitals 220/5 in 20 overs (Wihan Lubbe 60, Sherfane Rutherford 47*, Shai Hope 45; Kagiso Rabada 2/48) beat MI Cape Town 135 all out in 14.5 overs (Ryan Rickelton 33; Sherfane Rutherford 4/24, Keshav Maharaj 3/28) by 85 runs.
