Rassie van der Dussen Leads MI Cape Town To Victory Against Joburg Super Kings In SA20 Battle

There is nothing sweeter than redemption, especially after a long and disappointing inaugural season where a star-studded MI Cape Town team endured an unforeseen downward spiral that saw them finish bottom of the table last year.

Flashes of the disappointments of last season would have revisited the minds of the players, the coaching staff, and the entire fanbase in the Mother City when MI Cape Town suffered an 11-run loss through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method in Durban on Thursday evening, despite having set a target north of 200 runs.

However, the sky-blue outfit turned The Bullring into their playground and demolished the Faf du Plessis-led Joburg Super Kings in front of their home fans. It was not only redemption for MI Cape Town but also for opening batter Rassie van der Dussen, who has been criticized for being a slow starter.

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On Saturday, Van der Dussen proved his critics wrong with a sizzling century off only 50 deliveries, a knock that saw the right-handed batter smash nine boundaries and six maximums.

Alongside him, fellow opener Ryan Rickelton continued his purple patch with yet another half-century, only this time the left-handed batter fell two runs shy of what would have been a well-deserved ton.

The opening duo combined for a record-breaking 200-run stand, setting not only the highest opening stand but also the highest partnership in the SA20. MI Cape Town set 243-5 and put the home team’s bowling attack to the sword with Nandre Burger being on the receiving end of the carnage with figures of 2-53 in his allotted four overs.

With a big score on the board, it was up to the leader of the attack, Kagiso Rabada, to close off the match. However, the experienced captain Kieron Pollard decided to surprise the hosts with a new opening pair of left-arm orthodox George Linde and left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, using Rabada as the first-change option.

It worked wonders as the Super Kings’ opening batters Faf du Plessis and Reeza Hendricks looked confused in what was a catastrophic runout, leading to Hendricks’ (0) demise courtesy of a rocket of a throw from Liam Livingstone from the deep square leg boundary.

Youngster Ronan Herrmann was the next to depart as Pollard brought Rabada (1-6 in 2 overs) into the attack. Du Plessis (6 off 10) lost his wicket soon after with spinner Linde (2-25 in 4 overs) being the reason behind Du Plessis’ dismissal.

From that point onwards, the Super Kings barely recovered despite a 56-run stand between Leus du Plooy (48 off 24, 6×4, 2×6) and Romario Shepherd (34 off 19, 3×4, 2×6).

Ultimately, there was no denying MI Cape Town a well-deserved victory as they beat the Super Kings by 98 runs, securing a bonus point in the process.

This victory not only provided redemption for MI Cape Town after a disappointing previous season but also showcased the prowess of Rassie van der Dussen as a dynamic and explosive batter. His century off just 50 deliveries was a testament to his ability to dominate the opposition and set the tone for the match.

The record-breaking 200-run partnership between Van der Dussen and Rickelton further highlighted the team’s batting firepower and their ability to set mammoth totals.

MI Cape Town’s decision to surprise the Super Kings with a new opening pair and the strategic use of Rabada as a first-change bowler proved to be a masterstroke, leading to the early dismissals of key opposition batters.

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