Durban: Quinton de Kock led from the front with a half-century to revitalise the campaign of Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 with a five-wicket victory at Kingsmead here.
De Kock showed great courage to battle through the pain of an injured finger. The skipper struck 63 off 41 balls to set up his team’s successful chase before Matthew Breetzke took the home team over the line with an undefeated 48 off 39 balls.
MI Cape Town, though, pushed the Super Giants to the penultimate ball before Breetzke pulled a six into the stands to surpass the visitors’ 165/5.
It was a thrilling start to the resumption of the SA20 after the international break. Both teams were desperate for the points on offer leading into the game with the Super Giants now moving to within one point of the fifth-placed MI Cape Town.
The visitors did not have the best of starts after being inserted by De Kock as they lost both openers Dewald Brevis (13) and Grant Roelofsen (10) early on.
Proteas’ batter Rassie van der Dussen and Australian star and new recruit Tim David were forced to rebuild the MI Cape Town innings with solid contributions of 43 and 33 respectively. Dwaine Pretorius was the most successful bowler Super Giants bowler with figures of 2-38 but suffered at the backend of the innings when Delano Potgieter (32* off 17 balls) was in full flow.
The home team’s run-chase began in slippery fashion when their new Australian recruit Ben McDermott fell early for 5. The two left-handers De Kock and Breetzke, though, were in fine form with a 65-run partnership that reset the run chase.
A rapid 48-run partnership of just 29 balls between Breetze and Keemo Paul maintained the momentum with the West Indian providing the game-changing innings of 31 off just 18 deliveries.
Proteas speedster Kagiso Rabada provided MI Cape Town with late hope due to a three-wicket burst, but ultimately it was to no avail as the Super Giants scored their third victory of the campaign.
–IANS
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