All-round Rutherford powers Pretoria Capitals to thumping win

Sherfane Rutherford's all-round performance (15-ball 47* & 4-24) powered Pretoria Capitals to an 85-run victory over MI Cape Town at Newlands. After posting 220 for 5, Capitals bowled out the hosts for 135, securing their first win of the SA20 season.

MI Cape Town's new ball pair started well, with Kagiso Rabada striking in his first over. However, Will Smead and Shai Hope cut loose in the third over, and Corbin Bosch and George Linde took a wicket each to reduce MICT to 39 for 3 in the powerplay.

Hope and Wihaan Lubbe revived the innings with an 88-run stand. Lubbe accelerated in the ninth over against Corbin Bosch, with three boundaries in that over signaling a momentum shift.

MICT dismissed both set batters in a span of six balls, but that only cleared the way for a carnage by Rutherford and Dewald Brevis. Brevis began with a no-look loft against Trent Boult, and Bosch was hit for three sixes in the next over. Rutherford then smoked four consecutive sixes off Dwaine Pretorius as the duo added 86 runs in the last 27 balls.

In response, MICT's openers, Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen, made a promising start, adding 60 runs in 31 balls before Rickelton holed out. Van der Dussen was dropped but fell soon after, pulling a delivery to deep mid wicket.

Nicholas Pooran smashed four sixes in five balls, but his innings was cut short, miscuing a swing to deep mid wicket. The collapse began when Rutherford was introduced; he took four wickets as MICT lost their last seven wickets for just 35 runs. Keshav Maharaj also contributed, cleaning up Jason Smith and having Rashid Khan stumped.

Brief Scores: Pretoria Capitals 220/5 in 20 overs (Wihan Lubbe 60, Sherfane Rutherford 47*; Kagiso Rabada 2-48) beat MI Cape Town 135 in 14.2 overs (Ryan Rickelton 33, Rassie van der Dussen 28; Sherfane Rutherford 4-24, Keshav Maharaj 3-28) by 85 runs.