Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis plays a shot during their SA20 clash against MI Cape Town at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Monday Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis plays a shot during their SA20 clash against MI Cape Town at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Monday. Picture: Nic Bothma/Sportzpics
Faf du Plessis won the battle of the captains in his duel with Kieron Pollard to reignite Joburg Super Kings’ Betway SA20 campaign at a drenched Newlands on Monday evening.
Du Plessis struck 50 not out off 20 balls to lead JSK to a 10-wicket victory after the match was reduced to eight over per side. A two-hour downpour had interrupted MI Cape Town’s innings after the completion of the Power Play.
Leus du Plooy also played a strong supporting role with 41 not out off 14 balls as the Super Kings also earned an invaluable bonus point for chasing down the revised target of 98 in just 5.4 overs.
Du Plessis and Du Plooy were magnificent from the outset with the latter kick-starting the run chase in the most dramatic fashion with a lap shot over fine leg for six off Nuwan Thushara’s very first delivery.
From there on, the pair were virtually unstoppable as the MI Cape Town bowlers struggled to maintain their lines and lengths as light drizzle began to fall.
Earlier, MI Cape Town had their innings stalled after reaching 44/1 at the conclusion of the Power Play.
The home side lost two further wickets after the restart with veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir (2/13) claiming the scalps of both Liam Livingstone and Ryan Rickelton in the same over.
But Pollard was determined to get his team to a competitive total with the big West Indian striking four sixes in his 10-ball 33 not out to lift MI Cape Town to 80/3 - which was later revised to 97 after the Duckworth-Lewis Stern (DLS) calculations.
JSK now leapfrog both MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals into the fourth and final playoff spot on 13 points with two matches still remaining.
MI Cape Town drop down to sixth place with nine points, but still remain in the hunt for the playoffs with two matches against Pretoria Capitals left.
"When there is rain, you are a bit challenged, limited with the options," said JSK captain Du Plessis.
"The first over of the innings set the tone for us, takes a brave man to hit that first ball for six, the intent was key.”
Meanwhile, Pollard was philosophical in defeat, but believed his team was still capable of reaching the playoffs.
"Sometimes you have no control over certain things and that's one of them. You had to maximise the two overs. Having said that, these things happen and we have no control over that," he said.
"At the end of the game we have to have a W, you have to take it on the chin and regroup because in a couple of days we have a game.
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