Pretoria Capitals 143 for 6 (Rutherford 74*, Brevis 53, Worrall 2-12, Mulder 2-34) beat Joburg Super Kings 122 for 8 (Forrester 44*, Maharaj 3-15, Williams 3-25) by 21 runs
Earlier in the day, Durban’s Super Giants moved to fourth on the points table but will be unable to qualify for the playoffs if JSK, currently fifth, win their remaining league fixture against Paarl Royals on Sunday. For MI Cape Town, they must win their last match with a bonus point and hope JSK do not win their final game.
Innings of two halves for Capitals
It was a night of extremes for Capitals, who were rocked by a devastating new-ball spell from JSK. Under overcast skies and a light drizzle, JSK’s bowlers kept things simple, extracting extra bounce and sharp seam to force a dramatic collapse. Daniel Worrall struck in the opening over, and the pressure of dot balls soon told, as wickets tumbled in quick succession. By the fifth over, Capitals were in complete disarray at 10 for 5, with their top order blown away. This included Wiaan Mulder’s double-wicket maiden in the fourth over. Worrall bowled four overs on the trot and finished with 4-1-12-2.
After the collapse, Brevis and Rutherford got together and engineered a revival. Brevis, dropped on 3, initially rebuilt cautiously before the pair shifted gears after the second drinks break. A 23-run 14th over sparked the acceleration, and the duo went on to add a record 103 for the sixth wicket. Brevis fell for 53, but Rutherford’s unbeaten 74 not only carried Capitals to a competitive 143 for 6, it also made him the first Capitals batter to score 300 runs in a single SA20 season.
Maharaj, Williams dent JSK
The pitch proved tricky to bat on during the chase, with some deliveries holding and others jumping off a length with extra bounce. Maharaj, in particular, was unplayable on Saturday, extracting sharp turn and keeping the batters under pressure. After JSK lost Rivaldo Moonsamy in the fourth over, James Vince and Leus du Plooy, who had replaced the injured du Plessis, briefly steadied the innings, taking the team to 40 for 1 in the powerplay. Maharaj then removed Vince, Matthew de Villiers, and Wiaan Mulder in his next three overs, reducing JSK to 54 for 4. They slumped further to 68 for 6, before Ferreira retired hurt.
The equation came down to 60 off the final four overs and 28 off the last six, with Lizaad Williams also chipping in with late strikes to finish with three wickets. Though Dian Forrester fought a lone battle, hitting an unbeaten 44, it wasn’t enough to take JSK over the line, despite Capitals’ occasional sloppy fielding late in the chase.
