MI Cape Town keep playoff hopes alive with gritty win over Sunrisers

Reeza Hendricks and George Linde led MI Cape Town to a thrilling three wicket victory over the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Newlands on Friday and kept their hopes of progressing to the playoffs alive.

Hendricks and Linde combined for a crucial 44-run stand, setting up what was thrilling victory over the two-time champions at a packed Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Friday evening.

Chasing a low 140, MI Cape Town needed one batter to bat through the innings, and Hendricks stepped up to the plate, putting together a patient 41 off 43, a knock which saw the right hander strike only three fours.

Linde, having come in to bat with the hosts in all sorts of trouble with the score on 52/3 following Nicholas Pooran’s (17) wicket, had to be the aggressor and boy did the left-hander play the role to perfection as he smashed 31 off just 18 deliveries to get the hosts within reach of the target.

Both Hendricks and Linde would lose their wickets, however, Kieron Pollard’s (20) cameo ensured that the hosts secured all four points.

Despite the victory, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape fought hard, making what really should have been an easy chase to a proper contest.

Marco Jansen’s early strikes where he removed Rassie van der Dussen (8) and Ryan Rickelton (11) played a crucial role, while Muthusamy (2/25), Adam Milne (1/26), Anrich Nortje (1/29) and James Coles (1/13) all chipped in.

At the end, MI Cape Town won the match by three wickets with four balls remaining.

Earlier, MI Cape Town had a blistering start, a start they so desperately needed given that they needed a bonus point victory to give themselves the best chance of sneaking into the playoff stage of the tournament as they sat at the bottom of the table heading into the clash.

Boult led from the front with the new ball, accounting for Quinton de Kock with the very first ball of the match.

Like he had done multiple times in the past in his clashes with De Kock, Boult bowled full and lured the left-hander to play a stroke only to find an edge through to Ryan Rickelton behind the stumps, giving the hosts the ideal start with De Kock back in the pavilion.

Three overs later, Jonny Bairstow (15) was the next man out, with Kagiso Rabada (1/20) trapping the Englishman in front to hand MI Cape Town their second wicket inside the first powerplay.

Matthew Breetzke (16), Jordan Hermann (12) and Tristan Stubbs (4) followed soon after, having done very little damage, leaving the visiting side reeling on 69/5 12.1 overs into the contest.

With the visitors in trouble, all-rounders Marco Jansen (42) and James Coles (28) steadied the ship with a 45-run stand, taking the two-time champions to 114/6 by the 17th over.

MI Cape Town quick Corbin Bosch (4/34) was the chief destructor, as he cleaned the visitors up for 139 runs, taking four wickets in the process to give the hosts hope of the required bonus point victory.

Spinner George Linde (1/34) also played a neat role with the ball, as he contributed to the home team’s victory.

Full Scorecard:

Eastern Cape: 139 all out (Marco Jansen 42; Corbin Bosch 4/34, Trent Boult 3/28)

MI Cape Town: 140/7 (Reeza Hendricks 41; George Linde 31; Marco Jansen 2/23)

MI Cape Town won by three wickets with four balls remaining.