8:58pm Right. That will be a wrap from us for tonight. The action, though, comes thick and fast at the SA20. Tomorrow, the Durban Super Giants will take on Joburg Super Kings in what promises to be another cracking contest. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Chandan. Goodbye, goodnight, and take care!
Rashid Khan, MI Cape Town captain: So happy to be starting the new competition with a win. The way we started was great, and then we finished off with our batting. Looking forward to keeping this momentum. The bowling unit we have is one of the best. As a captain it makes it so easy because you have bowlers who can bowl in different stages. We just need to focus on doing the right things. (On Archer) It is super hard to be out for so long and come back this way. It was delightful to watch. We saw him in practice and knew that he was ready to go. It was superb to watch and to be on the same side as him. (On Brevis) The way he played tonight was amazing. We know how good a hitter he is. Important thing was he took his time today and the way he managed his innings and finished it was important. The youngsters are stepping up, they are working hard and I am super excited to be with them for the next few weeks. (On the crowd) Thanks to the crowd for supporting their home team. It is great to see the crowd back and it feels amazing to have that kind of support.
David Miller, Paarl Royals captain: Not a good start from us. I think it was a little bit tough when we batted up front. It got a little easier as it went on. They batted really well and put us under pressure. Our execution was not great either. We slipped up in a few areas and we will have to learn from those areas. There were two dropped catches which is never good in a T20 competition. He (Brevis) struck it really sweet and at the back end, it was good to watch. When Morgs and I were batting, we were having that chat about how him (Archer) being fit is great for world cricket.
Dewald Brevis, Player of the Match: I want to thank the crowd for their great support. I really enjoyed batting every single ball. I want to thank god as well. Absolutely grateful for this opportunity to play in front of my home crowd. He (de Villiers) has played a key role in my development as a player. He helped me through a lot and gives me the right advice. I could not wait for this day to see him (Archer), run in and bowl at pace. It is not my worry (that Livingstone and Rabada are returning), it is the other teams' worry.
8:40pm Well, that was a fairly comfortable victory for MI Cape Town in the end. They set the tone with the ball, with Archer and Stone leading the way. Then, it was time for Brevis and Rickelton to take the game away from the Royals. The latter got the ball rolling in the powerplay, before Brevis took over. Even after Rickelton was dismissed, Brevis continued on his merry way, notching up a 41-ball 70, which included four fours and five sixes. Brevis' belligerence also meant that MI Cape Town hunted down the total inside 16 overs, securing a bonus point win at the first time of asking.
Plenty to ponder, meanwhile, for the Royals. Their bowling plans lacked clarity and their accuracy also left a lot to be desired. They were not great with the bat either, and might have to revaluate how best to use the power hitters in their side. There is still a long way to go, and from that perspective, they might be happy that their bad day at the office is now out of the way.
Scores level now. Can Brevis finish it off in style?
MI Cape Town only need eight runs for a win now. If they can finish it off this over, they might also get a bonus point
END OF OVER:15 | 15 Runs 1 Wkt | MICT: 135/2 (8 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 9.00, RRR: 1.60)
- Dewald Brevis69 (40b)
- Rassie van der Dussen1 (1b)
- Codi Yusuf3-0-33-1
- Ramon Simmonds3-0-32-1
van der Dussen is the new batter in
SM Curran c Miller b Codi Yusuf 20 (20m 16b 1x4 2x6) SR: 125.00
END OF OVER:14 | 12 Runs | MICT: 120/1 (23 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 8.57, RRR: 3.83)
- Sam Curran20 (15b)
- Dewald Brevis55 (36b)
- Ramon Simmonds3-0-32-1
- Tabraiz Shamsi3-0-31-0
Aryann : "Can you please do the maths for us and tell us exactly how many overs do MICT need to chase the total in to get the bonus point?" -- MI Cape Town should get a bonus point if they can chase this total down inside 16 overs
END OF OVER:13 | 10 Runs | MICT: 108/1 (35 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 8.30, RRR: 5.00)
- Dewald Brevis54 (35b)
- Sam Curran9 (10b)
- Tabraiz Shamsi3-0-31-0
- Ferisco Adams3-0-22-0
