Sunrisers Eastern Cape flex all-round muscles to eliminate holders MI Cape Town

Defending champions MI Cape Town were eliminated by Sunrisers Eastern Cape in a Sunday afternoon fixture at St George's Park in Gqeberha. MI Cape Town, after an abysmal season that began with five straight losses, went into the game hoping to push their survival but enjoyed no such luck against the table-toppers. SEC restricted them to 148/6, with nearly half of that coming from Reeza Hendricks's bat (70* off 44). Quinton de Kock and Matthew Breetzke then led the chase with half-centuries and a 109-run stand that sealed the holders' fate.

Chris Green, having played for Sydney Thunder just two evenings prior, switched continents to join Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He made an immediate impact with a three-wicket haul that dismantled MI Cape Town's hopes of a big total after being asked to bat first. Captain Tristan Stubbs introduced Green in the PowerPlay, where he trapped the league's best batter of the season, Ryan Rickelton, leg before in the fourth over.

Stubbs brought Green back in the 10th over to break a growing partnership between Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen. Green delivered with a sharply turning delivery that beat van der Dussen's bat and pad to knock back the stumps.

SEC's left-arm spinner James Coles then bowled MI Cape Town captain Nicholas Pooran for just two. Before the death overs, Stubbs turned to Green again, who claimed the wicket of George Linde after being hit for three successive sixes. Linde's cameo (30 off 17) gave MI Cape Town a total to defend.

De Kock and Breetzke quickly dismantled those expectations. Kagiso Rabada's dismissal of Jonny Bairstow brought the two South Africans together for a century stand, steady but not necessarily fast-paced. They dragged the chase deep, with 40 needed off 24 deliveries. In a desperate move, Pooran unleashed Trent Boult for his final over in search of a breakthrough.

He didn't get it, and the batters reduced the target by 15. Corbin Bosch then dismissed de Kock in an eight-run over. When Rabada returned, 17 were needed off 12. Jordan Hermann and Breetzke took him for 12 in the penultimate over. Bosch tried to cause a flutter in the final over with only five needed, but even Breetzke's dismissal wasn't enough to turn the tide.

Brief Scores: MI Cape Town 148/6 in 20 overs (Reeza Hendricks 70, George Linde 30; Chris Green 3-29) lost to Sunrisers Eastern Cape 149/3 in 19.5 overs (Matthew Breetzke 66, Quinton de Kock 56; Corbin Bosch 2-29) by 7 wickets