Rabada's Remarkable Four-Wicket Haul Secures MI Cape Town's First SA20 Championship
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Synopsis
Kagiso Rabada's outstanding four-wicket haul led MI Cape Town to their first SA20 title, bowling out Sunrisers Eastern Cape for just 105 runs in the final at Wanderers. MI Cape Town set a solid target of 181 runs, showcasing a dominant performance throughout.
Key Takeaways
- Kagiso Rabada took 4 wickets for 25 runs.
- MI Cape Town scored 181 runs, the second-highest in SA20 finals.
- Ryan Rickelton became the leading run-scorer in SA20 history.
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape were bowled out for 105 runs.
- MI Cape Town claimed their first SA20 championship.
Johannesburg, Feb 9 (NationPress) MI Cape Town's ace bowler Kagiso Rabada showcased a phenomenal display of skill to guide his squad to their first-ever SA20 title in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Wanderers on Saturday night.
Rabada's stellar performance was perfectly timed for the occasion, as he took 4 wickets for 25 runs, leading to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape being bowled out for a mere 105 runs while chasing MI Cape Town's total of 181/8, which stands as the second-highest score in the history of an SA20 final.
Additionally, Rabada executed a spectacular diving catch at point, dismissing Aiden Markram, the Sunrisers captain, at a crucial moment, significantly shifting the momentum in favor of MI Cape Town.
Rabada received strong backing from his spin colleagues, George Linde (2-20) and Rashid Khan (1-19).
After winning the toss and opting to bat, MI Cape Town made their intentions clear right from the start, with Ryan Rickelton scoring 33 off just 15 deliveries (1 four, 4 sixes), propelling his team to 51 runs within the opening five overs.
However, Rickelton was soon dismissed by a slower delivery from Craig Overton and was followed by Reeza Hendricks (0 off 2 balls), leaving MI Cape Town at 52/2 at the end of the powerplay—marking the highest score conceded by the Sunrisers at that stage in the tournament.
Rickelton also surpassed Heinrich Klaasen of the Durban Super Giants to become the leading run-scorer in SA20 history with a total of 1012 runs across all three seasons.
Despite the setbacks, the Sunrisers continued to make inroads, claiming the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen (23 off 25 balls), who fell just four runs short of overtaking Lhuan-dre Pretorius as the competition's top run-scorer.
MI Cape Town steadied their innings with several vital middle-order partnerships, particularly the 50-run alliance off just 30 balls between Dewald Brevis (38 off 18 balls) and Connor Esterhuizen (39 off 26 balls), crucial in setting a winning target.
For the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, a strong opening was essential to stand a chance; however, their batting woes persisted during the powerplay as David Bedingham and Jordan Hermann fell cheaply, leaving their side at just eight runs.
Abell and Tony de Zorzi fought valiantly to rebuild the innings with a 57-run partnership for the third wicket, but they both fell within three runs of each other to Linde and Rashid respectively, leaving the Sunrisers in a precarious position at 68/4.
With Markram's dismissal shortly after, the Sunrisers’ hopes of retaining their title as two-time SA20 champions faded, with Rabada delivering the final blow for MI Cape Town.
