Friday, 02 February 2024: Kyle Verreynne rewrote the Betway SA20 record books with the highest-ever score of 116 not out, but it was not enough to prevent the Pretoria Capitals from falling to a 34-run defeat to MI Cape Town at Centurion on Thursday evening.
Verreynne enthralled the Centurion crowd with a 52-ball innings that included seven boundaries and nine sixes, to better Joburg Super Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis’s 113 not out from Season 1.
He single-handedly prevented MI Cape Town from claiming the invaluable bonus point on offer after the Capitals were reduced to 42/6 in their pursuit of the visitors’ mammoth 248/4.
Centurion certainly was a batter’s paradise on the night, with a new league record match aggregate of 32 sixes struck. The competition’s leading run-scorer, Ryan Rickelton, and Rassie van der Dussen (21 off 9 balls) set the tone for the evening with a rapid 64-run opening stand for MI Cape Town in only five overs.
The MICT opening pair rediscovered their touch after going quiet in recent matches after a blitzkrieg start to Season 2. Rickelton was certainly back to his best with the left-hander striking the ball sweetly again as he plundered 90 off just 45 balls (10×4, 5×6). It was Rickelton’s third score within the 90’s in Season 2 along with an 87.
Dewald Brevis also came to the party with 67 not out, off only 32 balls (3×4, 6×6) before Kieron Pollard (27* off 7 balls) and Sam Curran (22* off 12 balls) delivered the finishing touch. Capitals’ seamer Daryn Dupavillion suffered the misfortune of conceding the worst figures in SA20 history of 1/73.
MI Cape Town’s seamers Kagiso Rabada (2/32) and Nuwan Thushara (3/37) then showed their class by adapting to the batting-friendly conditions before Verreynne took control with a spellbinding innings to get the Capitals up to 214/8.
The two sides will meet again at Newlands on Saturday with MI Cape Town (13 points) and Pretoria Capitals (10) both hoping for a Joburg Super Kings (13) defeat to log-leaders Durban’s Super Giants in order to give one of them an opportunity of clinching the final playoff spot on offer in Betway SA20 Season 2.
Whether it comes from one, two or three, or four, it doesn’t really matter: Rahul Dravid
Execution skill of Jasprit Bumrah is best across all formats: Mitchell Starc
‘NZ loss will be a bit of damage to their confidence’ – Marnus Labuschagne on India ahead of BGT 2024-25
Mohammed Shami’s IPL 2025 Auction: AI predicts team and final bid price
