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Capitals spin out of control in crushing MICT defeat

cricket02 February 2025 16:55| © MWP
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Veteran Dane Piedt led a brilliant spinning performance as MI Cape Town crushed the Pretoria Capitals by 95 runs in the final Betway SA20 league match at World Sports Betting Newlands in Cape Town on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Piedt claimed 3-28 in four overs to lead his side to a bonus-point victory as the Capitals were spun out for 106 in pursuit of MI Cape Town’s 201 for five after Colin Ingram had won the toss and decided to bat first.

Piedt claimed the wickets of Will Jack (0), Steve Stolk (8) and Jimmy Neesham (32) as the visitors slumped to 32 for five in the fifth over.

Had the New Zealand allrounder not clubbed one four and three massive sixes from 24 balls, the winning margin might have been far bigger.

Piedt was brilliantly supported by Thomas Kaber (2.5-0-27-3), George Linde (2-0-11-2) and Dewald Brevis (1-0-7-1) as the Capitals batting line-up had no answer under a warm Cape afternoon sun.

Despite a raft of changes from the home side, it did not deter from an eye-watering performance.

Piedt was on the money from the first ball of the chase, having Jacks edging behind to Chris Benjamin behind the stumps before bowling Stolk around his legs in his second over.

Linde then cause chaos in his first over, having Will Smeed (15) caught at long-off by Sediqullah Atal, Marques Ackerman top-edging a sweep-shot to Matthew Potts at square leg and then Kyle Verreynne being run-out at the striker’s end with a throw from Tristan Luus finding the Capitals captain short of his ground after a mid-pitch hesitation, leaving the visitors floundering on 32 for five.

Neesham and Keagan Lion-Cachet (17) stemmed the blood-flow with a sixth-wicket stand of 27 from 22 balls before Lion-Cachet launched Kaber towards the deep- backward square-leg fence, only to find the safe hands of substitute fielder Reeza Hendricks.

Hendricks was in the mix again, breaking the 29-run stand between Neesham and Senuran Muthusamy (7) for the seventh wicket.

Muthusamy falling the same way that Lion-Cachet did, but this time from the first ball sent down by Brevis.

Once Piedt returned to the action and saw the back of Neesham, Kaber finished off the innings, having Matthew Boast (13) stumped by Benjamin and then ending the match with Jason Behrendorff top-edging to Linde at short third-man for just two.

MICT OPENERS MAKE HAY

Earlier, Sediqullah (74) and Connor Esterhuizen (69) laid the foundation for the formidable total with an opening stand of 133 from 77 balls.

The pair left nothing to chance and bludgeoned 10 boundaries and nine sixes between them.

It eventually took the experience of Neesham (4-0-32-3) to break the stand when Sediqullah found Boast with a top-edge at short third-man after striking four boundaries and six maximums from just 46 balls.

Ingram struggled, driving one ball for four before being caught by Smeed at deep backward point from the bowling of Berhrendorf (4-0-34-1).

However, Esterhuizen, who faced 43 balls and struck six fours and three sixes, added 44 from 23 balls for the third wicket with Delano Potgieter (26).

Esterhuizen eventually fell, caught by Muthusamy in the deep from the bowling of Neesham, who also nabbed the scalp of Potgieter, caught by Behrendorff at long-on.

Gideon Peters (4-0-42-1) rounded off the innings, clean-bowling Benjamin without scoring.

Linde, who was dropped off his first ball, ended unbeaten on four while Brevis clubbed two boundaries from four balls, ending unbeaten on nine.

The win, although immaterial, aided MI Cape Town in securing an unbeaten home record, alongside neighbours the Paarl Royals and also top spot on the log.

They face off against the Royals at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday in the first Qualifier while the Capital contemplate next season.

MI CAPE TOWN: Connor Esterhuizen, Sediqullah Atul, Colin Ingram (capt), Dewald Brevis, Delano Potgieter, Chris Benjamin (wk), George Linde, Thomas Kaber, Dane Piedt, Tristan Luus, Matthew Potts.

PRETORIA CAPITALS: Will Jacks, Steve Stolk, Will Smeed, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), Marques Ackerman, Jimmy Neesham, Keagan Lion-Cachet, Senuran Muthusamy, Matthew Boast, Jason Behrendorff, Gideon Peters.

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