Wihan Lubbe and Sherfane Rutherford were outstanding with the bat as they helped Pretoria Capitals to 220/5 in their Betway SA20 match against MI Cape Town at Newlands Stadium on Wednesday evening. MI Cape Town needs 221 to win.
Lubbe struck a breezy 36-ball 60 (7X4, 2X6) to help put the Capitals in a competitive position after his captain, Keshav Maharaj, had won the toss and elected to bat first. The Capitals were in trouble, on 38/3 after 5.3 overs, when the 33-year-old arrived at the crease.
Lubbe consolidated and rebuilt the Capitals' innings with a 88-run fourth-wicket partnership with Shai Hope (45) off 55 balls. Lubbe reached his third SA20 half-century, and his 13th in the format, during the course of their partnership. He smashed a booming drive for a boundary off the 31st delivery he faced to reach the milestone.
Lubbe lost his wicket in the 16th over when he spooned a Kagiso Rabada delivery to Reeza Hendricks at mid-on. His dismissal was five balls after Hope’s exit. Sherfane Rutherford (47*) and Dewald Brevis (36*) took over from Lubbe and Hope and put on a clinic on death-batting, adding 86 runs in the last 30 deliveries of the innings.
Earlier in the innings, Kagiso Rabada made a triumphant return to competitive cricket after a three-month lay off. The Proteas star struck with his second delivery of the game to dismiss Bryce Parsons. His delivery, on a length, took the edge off Parsons' bat on its way to Ryan Rickelton behind the stumps.
The Capitals refused to be pushed onto the back foot and fought back with a 33-run second-wicket partnership in 19 deliveries. George Linde broke the growing partnership between Will Smeed and Shai Hope with a flighted delivery that enticed Smeed into an expansive shot that went straight to Rashid Khan at mid-on.
Corbin Bosch made it three wickets in the Powerplay for the hosts with Connor Esterhuizen's dismissal six balls later. Esterhuizen's exit cleared the path for Lubbe and Hope to join forces.
Kagiso Rabada was the most successful bowler for MI Cape Town with two wickets for 48 runs in four overs. Trent Boult, George Linde, and Corbin Bosch chipped in with a wicket each.
MI CAPE TOWN: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Smith, Dwaine Pretorius, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada (capt), Trent Boult.
PRETORIA CAPITALS: Will Smeed, Bryce Parsons, Shai Hope (wk), Dewald Brevis, Connor Esterhuizen, Sherfane Rutherford, Wihan Lubbe, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Lizaad Williams, Tymal Mills, Lungi Ngidi.