Last Update: January 15, 2023, 09:15 AM IST
MI Cape Town beat Joburg Super Kings by 7 wickets (Photo: MI Cape Town/Twitter)
Chasing a below-par target of 106, MI CT cruised home inside 16.3 overs in their third league game on Saturday night. With this, MI CT picked up four crucial points and went on top of the table with 9 points
After a clinical seven-wicket win over Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 match, MI Cape Town skipper Rashid Khan said his team has the best bowling unit in the tournament, which has made their job easier.
Chasing a below-par target of 106, MI CT cruised home inside 16.3 overs in their third league game on Saturday night. With this, MI CT picked up four crucial points and went on top of the table with 9 points.
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After a disciplined performance from their bowlers, openers Daveald Brewis (42) and Ryan Rickleton (21) put on a 65-run stand to lay the foundation for a big win for their side and the rest of the batsmen made quick work of the run chase. Brewis’ no-look 99-metre six against Aaron Phangiso was the highlight of MI CT’s run chase.
MI CT assessed the pitch to perfection and included spinner Waqar Salamkhel in the playing XI. Salamkhail (1/19) made an immediate impact as he controlled the game brilliantly in the middle overs along with skipper Rashid (2/18).
Other MI CT bowlers George Linde (2/25) and Kagiso Rabada (2/12) were lethal with the ball and kept the pressure on. West Indies all-rounder Odion Smith also made his debut for MICT in the game and contributed by picking up two important wickets.
Rabada – who was playing his first game of the tournament – returned with the player of the match award.
The credit for the win also goes to the MICT skipper as he put on a brilliant performance by his bowlers after electing to bowl first and together they bowled 65 dot balls. The team management showed faith in the youngsters and they did not disappoint.
Rashid praised his Afghan teammates and other bowlers for their clinical performances, saying, “We played together in one Test match for Afghanistan, he (Waqar) has done well in the past and has the potential.” He is ready to go and perform well.” (I am happy for him. He was in control in the middle overs. Linde, the way he bowled in the batting powerplay was brilliant, he and KG set the stage for us.”
Backing MI CT as the best bowling line-up in the tournament, the skipper said, “I think we have the best bowling unit, there are so many options and it makes a captain’s job tough. We have depth in the batting line-up as well.” We saw it in the last game.”
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Linde, who set the tone for MI CT in the powerplay, also supported the captain’s point of view and claimed that his team is full of superstars and has a potent spin attack.
“I think it was the right decision by the coaching staff with three spinners in this game as the pitch was getting slower. If you look at our team, we have three good spinners. We have a very good team full of match winners. We are very confident in the team as well and we have (lots of) superstars,” the left-arm orthodox spinner said at the post-match press conference.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)