A terrific display of power hitting from Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton set Mumbai Indians Cape Town on their way to a massive 98-run win over the Joburg Super Kings in their SA20 match at Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
Van Der Dussen smashed an incredible 104 off 50 balls, hammering nine fours and six sixes and Rickelton clubbed 98 off 49 balls, crashing six fours and eight sixes, with their 200-run opening partnership in 15.2 overs setting their side on their way to their total of 243/5.
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It was the second highest total ever in the SA20, and was far too much for the Super Kings as they stumbled to 145 all out in reply, giving the Cape Town side their first win of the tournament while the Super Kings still wait for theirs.
The hosts chase was effectively over by the start of the fifth over after Reeza Hendricks was run out for a second ball duck, while Ronan Hermann (9) and Faf du Plessis (6) were both caught by Beuran Hendricks off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada and George Linde respectively to reduce them to 29/3.
That became 47/4 by the end of the powerplay as Moeen Ali (11) was stunningly caught by Kieron Pollard off the bowling of Hendricks.
Leus du Plooy, 48 off 24 (6×4, 2×6) and Donovan Ferreira (14) then showed some fight as they shared in a 45-run fifth wicket stand, but both fell in quick succession to see them slip to 94/6 in the 12th over.
Romario Shepherd, 34 off 19, had some fun in the closing overs hitting three fours and two sixes, but it wasn’t enough to get them close.
Linde was the pick of the bowlers with 2/25 in his four overs while Olly Stone backed him up well with 2/18 in 2.5 overs.
At the start of play the Super Kings won the toss and sent MI CT into bat, with their innings getting off to a relaxed start as just 18 came off the first three overs.
The pyrotechnics then started in the fourth as Rickelton and Van Der Dussen took aim at Nandre Burger, cracking three sixes and two fours as 27 came off it.
They continued the assault over the next two overs as they cruised to 73/0 at the end of the powerplay, while Van Der Dussen brought his half century off 26 balls in the eighth over and the Super Kings passed the hundred run mark in the ninth over.
At the end of the 10th over Van Der Dussen was dropped on 65 by Imran Tahir, with the spinner unable to hold onto a sharp chance hit back at him.
An incredible run of overs then followed from the 11th to 15th over as they hit 12 runs off the 11th, followed by 20, 19, 16 and 17, which saw the score move from 114 to 198, while Rickelton brought up his half century with a six and Van Der Dussen went to his century also with a six.
Two singles at the start of the 16th over saw the openers bring up their brilliant 200-run stand, with Van Der Dussen then falling, caught at long off by Donovan Ferreira off the bowling of Tahir.
That wicket slowed MI CT down a touch as they could only score 41 more runs off the last 27 balls of the innings while losing five wickets, including Rickelton who fell just short of what should have been a deserved hundred.
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