Pooran, Smith blitz powers MICT to first win of season

MI Cape Town finally registered their first win of the season, in their sixth game, beating the Joburg Super Kings in a rain-affected contest. Cameos from Nicholas Pooran (33 off 15) and Jason Smith (22 off 7) meant that MICT chased down the revised target of 128 against JSK in the 12-over contest.

The match was delayed by over an hour-and-a-half owing to a steady drizzle that kept the covers on. With no overs lost and the MICT electing to bowl first, James Vince hit a brace of boundaries in the first over before Faf du Plessis took down Kagiso Rabada for four boundaries in the second over. Vince followed it up with a six off George Linde as JSK were 32 for 0 in 2.3 overs.

But MICT came back into the contest with the quick wickets of Vince and Dian Forrester. Du Plessis continued his terrific form in a 19-run over that consisted of three boundaries and a six off Boult as the left-armer continued to leak runs. But the rain returned once again when JSK were 69 for 2 in six overs, resulting in another hour's delay which reduced the game to a 12-over contest.

The rain break completely halted du Plessis' momentum and he holed out to long-on. Matthew de Villiers, who looked good in his 15-ball stay of 21, chopped on, off Corbin Bosch - his second wicket after picking up Forrester earlier in the innings. Wiaan Mulder hit a four and a six before falling to Rashid Khan while Bosch picked up his third of the innings with the wicket of Shubham Ranjane in the final over as JSK finished on 123 for 7.

The innings didn't start according to plan for MICT as Akeal Hosein picked up the in-form Ryan Rickelton for just five. Pooran began the onslaught with a six to round off Hosein's over before Rassie van der Dussen got into the act to pummel a six off Nandre Burger. Pooran continued to deal in sixes as he hit three in an over off Richard Gleeson before adding his fifth of the night in the next over. Pooran's party ended when he holed out to extra-cover off Burger.

Reeza Hendricks was run-out for six while Linde nicked behind on nine and took a review along with him. Smith, however, tonked his first ball for six to bring the equation down to 33 off 18. Burger bowled a terrific 10th over in which he conceded only seven runs and picked up van der Dussen as well. Gleeson wasn't as fortuitous. He was thumped for two sixes off Smith before he got the batter to pull one to long-on. With 12 needed off 7, Karim Janat hit one over deep mid-wicket for six to bring the equation down to five off six. The Afghan then finally hit the winning runs for MICT in front of a raucous Newlands crowd.

Brief Scores: Joburg Super Kings 123/7 in 12 overs (Faf du Plessis 44, Matthew de Villiers 21; Corbin Bosch 3-24, Rashid Khan 2-23) lost to MI Cape Town 128/6 [DLS Target] in 11.2 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 35, Nicholas Pooran 33; Nandre Burger 2-23, Akeal Hosein 1-17) by four wickets in a 12 over contest