Sherfane Rutherford propels Pretoria Capitals to their initial victory of the season
Pretoria Capitals 220 for 5 (Lubbe 60, Rutherford 47*, Rabada 2-48) defeated MI Cape Town 135 (Rickelton 33, Rutherford 4-24, Maharaj 3-28) by 85 runs. For the second consecutive home match, MICT was tasked with completing the highest successful chase in the SA20, and once again, they fell short. The defending champions remain without a win after three games, sitting at the bottom of the standings, having swapped positions with Pretoria Capitals. The Highveld team achieved their first win of the series in their third attempt, largely thanks to a dynamic batting display. They started poorly, finding themselves at 38 for 3 by the fifth over, but an outstanding fourth-wicket partnership of 88 runs between Shai Hope and Wihan Lubbe brought them to 126 for 4 by the 15th over. Although both Hope and Lubbe were dismissed before the final overs, this allowed the Capitals’ finishers to excel. Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford combined for a remarkable stand of 84 runs in just 27 balls, which included an impressive 72 runs in the last three overs, elevating Capitals to 220. Similar to the tournament opener when they faced a target of 233, MICT started strong but faltered in the latter stages. They were on track with 100 for 2 in the ninth over but collapsed to 7 for 35, denying their home fans the early celebrations on the final day of 2025. They couldn’t even secure a consolation bonus point, with Capitals earning all five points available. Rutherford capped off his explosive innings with impressive bowling figures of 4 for 24.
Rabada rebounds but is subsequently hammered. With just a day shy of ten weeks since Kagiso Rabada last participated in a match, during the Rawalpindi Test, worries about his readiness for the T20 World Cup, which is only five weeks away, were mounting. These fears were quickly put to rest. Rabada returned with a classic back-of-a-length delivery that outsmarted Bryce Parsons as he attempted a fine glance, followed by a fuller delivery that swung away from Parsons’ drive, resulting in a wicket. The rest of Rabada’s over was nearly flawless as he varied his lengths, surprised Will Smeed with a bouncer, and conceded merely two runs. In his second over, Hope connected with a slower ball for a towering six, but Rabada quickly rebounded, limiting his first two overs to just 12 runs. He was reintroduced in the 16th over, after the Hope-Lubbe partnership was broken and with Lubbe eager to accelerate. He top-edged a delivery from Rabada over slip and then attempted to swipe at another, resulting in a top-edge to mid-on. Rabada surged forward to take the catch but withdrew upon noticing Reeza Hendricks, who rushed in from long-on, was in a better position. Rabada could have taken a fourth and fifth wicket but Corbin Bosch missed a challenging catch of Brevis, and Nicholas Pooran dropped a simpler chance from Rutherford in the final over. Rabada concluded with figures of 2 for 48.
Brevis and Rutherford unleash powerful strikes. After scoring just 6 and 12 in his initial matches, Brevis had struggled to justify the R16.5 million (approximately US$980,000) that Pretoria Capitals invested in him, but he began to earn his keep in this match. His first boundary was the signature no-look six, hit off a slower ball from Trent Boult, and his next two hits were also sixes. He connected with a full toss from Bosch, sending it over long-off, and then sliced a short ball over third to accumulate 24 runs from the first nine balls he faced. However, it wasn’t all about Brevis. At the beginning of the next over, the penultimate one, Sherfane Rutherford ensured his explosive hitting took center stage. He launched a wide offcutter from Dwaine Pretorius over long-off, followed by a slower bouncer cleared over square leg, and a full toss driven over deep cover. On the fifth ball, Pretorius paused his run-up with a yorker that broke Rutherford’s rhythm, but the damage had already been inflicted.
Rickelton enjoys fortune until it runs out. After being dropped twice while making 113 in the opening match, Ryan Rickelton was let off the hook twice again as luck favored him at Newlands. He was on 13 when he skied a ball from Lizaad Williams toward mid-on. Rutherford had plenty of time to position himself under the catch but unfortunately let the ball slip through his fingers, giving Rickelton another chance. In the following over, on 23, he mishit a slower delivery from Lungi Ngidi to third. Williams was sprinting in and appeared to have it covered when Brevis stormed in from deep backward point, leading to a collision as they both tumbled to the ground, ultimately letting the ball fall between them. Rickelton maintained his aggression at the crease but his luck finally ran out when he pulled Williams to deep backward square, where Parsons took a diving catch. The opening partnership was broken at 60, and Brevis redeemed himself by taking the catch that dismissed Rassie van der Dussen two overs later.
Maharaj shines on NYE. Keshav Maharaj faced a challenging start at his new franchise, but he turned things around with an impressive performance on the final day of 2025. Maharaj entered the attack after the powerplay, with MICT at 63 for 1, and he steadied the innings with an opening over that conceded just five runs. His second over began with a wide, and then back-to-back sixes were hit off him by Pooran. However, Maharaj had the last word; Pooran attempted a slog sweep but failed to connect fully and was caught at deep backward square. Maharaj found his rhythm in his third over, capturing turn and bounce while bowling Jason Smith, who edged the ball outside. At that moment, MICT was at 113 for 5, caught in the midst of a significant collapse that ultimately left them 85 runs short. The chase concluded in the 15th over with 34 balls remaining.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket.
Published: 2026-01-01 04:08:00
source: www.espncricinfo.com
