Delano Potgieter starred while Dewald Brevis struck a fifty to help MI Cape Town thrash defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape by 97 runs in the SA20 opener.
Home skipper Aiden Markram had won the toss and opted to bowl first and Brevis came to MI Cape Town’s rescue after a faltering start, smashing 57 off just 29 balls to help the visitors post a total of 174-7 before the home side capitulated with the bat to be 77 all out.
The 21-year-old Brevis walked to crease with his team in some trouble at 42-3 halfway through the seventh over but showed his class and power, striking six sixes and two fours in his knock.
Brevis lost his wicket to Marco Jansen (2-38) just as MI Cape Town were about to launch in the final five overs but Potgieter (25 not out from 12 balls) and George Linde (23 not out from 17 balls) maintained the momentum in closing stages of the innings with an unbroken 41-run partnership.
The men from Cape Town then made a dream start with the ball as New Zealand seamer Trent Boult (2-16) took two early wickets, removing English pair Zak Crawley (12) and Tom Abell (0) off consecutive deliveries in the third over of the innings.
Markram (19) and Tristan Stubbs (13) tried to rebuild the innings with a stand of 32 for the fourth wicket but Potgieter came into the attack and put an end to end to the contest with a dramatic spell of seam bowling.
The all-rounder finished with career-best figures of 5-10 in three overs, including the Proteas internationals’ wickets Markram and David Bedingham.
MI Cape Town will look to maintain their winning momentum when they face Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers on Saturday, while the Sunrisers will look to bounce back against Paarl Royals at Boland Park also on Saturday.
