MICT vs PR

So, that is it from myself, Karthik Raj and my co-commentator, Pradeep as we wrap up the coverage of this fixture. Do stay tuned to Sportskeeda for a lot more cricketing action with the Eliminator of the SA20 coming up later tonight (5th Feb). There is also the Qualifier 1 of the ILT20 lined up at 8 PM IST. So, there are options to choose from. Until next time, it is a warm good-bye from us!

Rashid Khan [MI Cape Town]: Great feeling especially as you mentioned we finished at the bottom in the first two seasons. The way we played through the league stage was brilliant. Everyone took their responsibility, they all wanted to perform under pressure. (About the great starts provided by the openers) Absolutely, in such a short format, you need a good format be it with bat or ball. Rassie (Rassie van der Dussen) and Rickelton (Ryan Rickelton) have given us a strong base which gives a platform for the middle-order. They have been absolutely outstanding. They were great last season as well but were missing out on some moments. Those moments have gone our way this time. In T20 cricket, it is tough to come back but we came back after an expensive first over. I should mention our fielding as well. We have taken a good catch or effected a great run-out at important situations. (On becoming the bowler with most wickets in T20 history) It is a great achievement. If you asked me 10 yrs back if I would do this, it would not be believable. It is a proud thing for someone coming from Afghanistan to achieve this. DJ Bravo is a great T20 bowler, I hope to continue performing like this.

David Miller [Paarl Royals captain]: I think, we started little bit on the backfoot, in the powerplay they came at us hard but we pulled things back and lost the way at the backend. Two five wides, couple of no-balls cost us, it wasn't our best night in the end. It's never nice, bowler coming off bowling no-balls, backend the wheels came off a bit. We have to regroup as a unit, it takes one game to turn it around and reach the finals to play on Saturday. We kept losing wickets, run-rate was nota  problem, we had lost too many wickets, we were little bit of in a pickle. Luck didn't go our way, but we're looking forward to turn the tide on Thursday. DK and I decided, I'm going to face six balls, it was tough for him as Linde was turning the balls. Linde got me, it's part of the game.

Delano Potgieter is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: I'm just happy to contribute with any skill that I can. It is extremely tough, the success after that is easy. The top order makes it easier for us at the backend, they give us that little bit of time to whack it at the end. I like bowling, we have extremely good bowling line-up, but happy to contribute there. Will celebrate, we have got one more game to go.

MATCH OVER!

MI Cape Town win by 39 runs!

MI Cape Town 199/4 (20)
Paarl Royals 160/10 (19.4)

David Miller 45 (26) | Dinesh Karthik 31 (28)

Kagiso Rabada 2/18 (4) | Rashid Khan 2/33 (4)

What a moment for MI Cape Town! They qualified for the SA20 play-offs for the first this season and have now made it to the final as well. A complete team effort as they get the better of Paarl Royals by 39 runs.

Chasing 200 was never going to be easy but Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Mitchell Owen gave the right signals by smacking 21 runs off the first over. The entertainment wasn’t to last for long as Kagiso Rabada got rid of Pretorius with his very first delivery. In the next over, Boult got past his previous over and removed Mitchell Owen as the Royals’ opening duo was back in the hut within the first three overs.

The Royals made an interesting move to send Dayyaan Galiem at No.4 while Corbin Bosch also got into the wickets with the scalp of Rubin Hermann in the fifth over. The batting side meandered to 45/3 at the end of the Powerplay and soon lost another wicket as Galiem was run-out courtesy Bosch.

Thereafter, Dunith Wellalage and David Miller put together a promising stand with boundaries starting to flow. Yet, Rashid Khan put on an end to Wellalage's knock as he became the all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 history by over-taking Dwayne Bravo's 631 scalps. Miller wasn't to give though as he cracked a few glorious drives off Bosch's bowling. 

The Royals' captain also tried to target George Linde as he hogged the strike and smashed a couple of sixes but the left-arm spinner had the last laugh by getting the wicket off the final delivery of the 14th over. Karthik, who had been quiet till then tried to open but MICT skipper Rashid added another scalp to his tally by dismissing the veteran keeper in the 17th over. From there on, Boult, Rabada and Bosch all took a wicket each as the Royals were rolled over for 160!

19.4 Corbin Bosch to Bjorn Fortuin, OUT! GOES UP IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! That is it! MICT storm into the finals for the first time in SA20 as they thrash Paarl Royals quite comfortably. It's an emphatic win for MI Cape Town, they've turned up both with the bat and the ball. Change of pace, back of a length outside the off-stump, Fortuin too early into the shot and miscued it to long-off where Rashid takes a sitter.

Bjorn Fortuin c Rashid Khan b Corbin Bosch 10 (7b, 2x4, 0x6)

19.3 Corbin Bosch to Bjorn Fortuin, back of a length on fourth stump, Fortuin swivels to pull that one across and misses, through to the keeper.

19.2 Corbin Bosch to Bjorn Fortuin, FOUR MORE! Full outside the off-stump, Fortuin absolutely thrashes it through extra-cover, raced away to the ropes. Bit too late this for Royals.

19.1 Corbin Bosch to Bjorn Fortuin, FOUR! Full toss, angling into middle and leg. Fortuin shuffles across and just helps it away nicely to fine-leg for a boundary of the first ball.

18.6 Kagiso Rabada to Kwena Maphaka, change of pace, short outside the off-stump. Maphaka has another wild swing, ends up feeling the fresh air.

18.5 Kagiso Rabada to Kwena Maphaka, back of a length, just outside the off-stump. Maphaka dances down the wicket, throws kitchen sink at it and misses again.

18.3 Kagiso Rabada to Kwena Maphaka, OH! Back of a length, angled into the batter, Maphaka gets rushed, pings on the glove as he takes evasive action.

18.2 Kagiso Rabada to Andile Phehlukwayo, OUT! MILES UP INTO THE NIGHT SKY AND TAKEN! Rickelton takes a comfortable catch as Royals lose their ninth wicket. Back of a length on off-stump, Phehlukwayo launches it into the night sky. Rickelton settles under it and Rabada picks up another wicket.

Andile Phehlukwayo c Ryan Rickelton b Kagiso Rabada 5 (6b, 0x4, 0x6)