By Ross Roche.
It was the Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis and Kyle Verreynne batting show at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday evening, but in the end MI Cape Town won the high-scoring SA20 encounter by 34 runs against the Pretoria Capitals.
Rickelton and Brevis both struck superb half centuries to help their side to a mammoth 248/4 batting first, before Verreynne crashed a brilliant counter-attacking century in a losing cause as they fell short on 214/8 at the end of their 20 overs.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat MI CT were grateful to the in-form Rickelton as he produced the fireworks at the start and middle of the innings, smashing 10 fours and five sixes in his 90 off 45 balls, while Brevis provided the entertainment at the end with six sixes and three fours seeing him finish on an unbeaten 66 off 32 balls.
The Capitals’ challenge then ended when they were reduced to 42/6 in their chase, only for Verreynne to step up with an unbelievable innings, cracking nine sixes and seven fours in his unbeaten 116 of just 52 balls.
In the chase the Capitals needed to get off to a fast start and that was provided by Will Jacks, 26 off nine balls (2×4, 3×6), as he crunched a four and three sixes off George Linde’s first over, as 23 came off it.
But that was as good as it got for the hosts as they spectacularly fell apart with six wickets falling for 15 runs to end any chance they may have held of chasing down the mammoth target.
Phil Salt (5) top edged Sam Curran to Nealan van Heerden at fine leg, while Jacks had his middle stump flattened by Kagiso Rabada as they slipped to 33/2.
Nuwan Thushara then got in on the action with some terrific swing bowling, clattering the stumps of Rilee Rossouw for a third-ball duck and Colin Ackermann for an unplayable first baller leaving the hosts wobbling on 34/4.
Theunis de Bruyn (4) mistimed a drive off Rabada straight to Kieron Pollard at mid-off and Thushara bowled Shane Dadswell with another toe-crunching yorker as they crashed to 42/6 in the sixth over.
Enter Verryenne, who first shared in a 78-run seventh-wicket partnership with Wayne Parnell (23), and an unbeaten 85-run ninth wicket stand with Adil Rashid, 21* off 14 (4×4), to crucially make sure MI CT wouldn’t get a bonus point from the game.
Verreynne was in a bullish mood as he drilled Thomas Kaber for four sixes in a row in the ninth over, while he also launched Thushara for three sixes in the 18th as he showed some amazing ball striking.
A flat batted six back over Curran’s head in the 19th over took Verreynne to his amazing century, while it was the 78-runs that came off the last four overs that got them past the 200-run mark.
Rickelton Rocks
The MI CT innings got off to a flying start despite a quiet first over as Rickelton hammered three boundaries off Eathan Bosch in the second over, four boundaries off Daryn Dupavillon in the third, and another two off Bosch in the fourth as 13, 18 and 11 runs came off them respectively.
The fifth over, bowled by Wayne Parnell, saw Rassie van der Dussen, 21 off nine balls (3×6), get in on the action as he crunched back-to-back sixes, followed by the third six of the over off the fifth ball, but he was out off the last ball, hitting it straight to Dupavillon at short fine leg with the score 60/1.
Rickelton reached his half century in style with slog sweep over deep square leg for six off Will Jacks in the eighth over, while Liam Livingstone (12), who had struggled to get going, eventually popped a catch to Colin Ackermann at deep square leg in the 10th over off Dupavillon.
However, the bowler followed that up with three straight no balls later in the over as Rickelton whacked one for four and Brevis one for six as 16 came off it taking them to 103/2 at the halfway mark.
The carnage continued as Brevis cracked a four and six with 12 off Parnell in the 11th and a Rickelton six off Adil Rashid in the 12th as 11 runs were scored.
Rickelton took aim at Parnell in the 14th over, smashing him for three sixes in a row, two over deep midwicket and one to cow corner, but the bowler got his revenge off the last ball, trapping him LBW to send him on his way, but leaking 20 runs as MI Cape Town reached 151/3.
Two fours from Brevis and a six and a four from new man Sam Curran, 22 off 12 (1×4, 2×6), meant 19 runs were smashed in the 15th over bowled Rashid as the visitors showed no signs of slowing down.
A few quieter overs followed, which also saw the back of Curran, caught behind by keeper Phil Salt off Parnell in the 18th over, with the score a healthy 196/4.
But the final two overs went the distance as MI CT finished with aplomb, smashing 50 runs off them.
Dupavillon travelled for 30 in the 19th over, two big sixes from Brevis taking him to his half century, while Kiron Pollard, 27* off seven (2×4, 3×6), cracked two sixes and a four.
Bosch received no respite in the final over as Brevis launched another six over deep midwicket and Pollard crashed a four and pulled a huge six over deep square leg as the visitors hammered 20 runs at the death to set up an imposing total which ultimately proved to be a bridge too far for the Pretoria Capitals.