Rickelton helps MICT trounce Joburg Super Kings with ease as Rassie Van der Dussen also scored a half-century.
MI Cape Town defeated Johannesburg Super Kings by 36 runs to record their second straight victory after losing their first five games. Despite scoring 234 for 3, they were unable to earn a bonus point.
MICT relied on Ryan Rickelton’s 113 not out off 60 balls when batting first in Johannesburg. Rickelton scored his second century of the season; no one else has scored more than one in the SA20’s four seasons. Alongside Rickelton for the first wicket, Rassie van der Dussen added 129 in 10.2 overs with a hand of 65 off 32.
JSK had to execute the SA20’s highest chase. When Faf du Plessis was unable to bat due to a finger injury sustained on the field, their hopes were further diminished. Although Dian Forrester and James Vince fought hard with their heroic half-centuries, it was insufficient.
Du Plessis lost his sixth toss in seven games to open the day. He flipped the coin with Donovan Ferreira in tow. MICT’s decision to bat first gave JSK what they wanted, but it didn’t improve du Plessis’ chances. Ferreira also filled in for du Plessis when he had to leave the pitch halfway through MICT’s innings.
After that, neither Van der Dussen nor Rickelton turned around. They took the team past 50 in just 3.3 overs by matching each other shot for shot.
MICT was only able to score 29 runs from over 13 to 17. Rickelton was subsequently caught for 87 by Nandre Burger, but his happiness was short-lived as the TV umpire declared it to be a back-foot no-ball. Rickelton smashed Burger’s next three balls for 4, 4, and 6, as if to add insult to injury. He reached his hundred off 54 balls with the six. After that, JSK was unable to halt the flow of runs, and the final three overs yielded 55.
In the first over, Vince struck Trent Boult for three fours to start the chase. However, there wasn’t much backing on the opposite side. In du Plessis’ absence, Michael Pepper opened the innings but was dismissed for two. Wiaan Mulder and Matthew de Villiers were also short-lived, leaving JSK at 35 for 3 in just five overs.
However, Vince continued to attack, nearly single-handedly sustaining JSK’s hopes. From the fourth to the eleventh over, he hit at least one boundary, including consecutive sixes from Boult in the tenth. However, Linde nabbed him for 77 off 43 at short third.
After that, Forrester, who was then on 16 off 13, took charge and began consistently finding the boundary. To deny MICT a bonus point, JSK needed eight runs in the final over. Forrester at least accomplished it against Corbin Bosch by hitting a six on the third ball, refusing a single on the second, and running two on the first.