Cape Town , Jan 24, 2023, IANS

Cape Town, Jan 24 (IANS) Pretoria Capitals put daylight between themselves and the five other SA20 teams after claiming a 52-run victory over second-placed MI Cape Town at Newlands.

After being sent in to bat, the Capitals flew out the blocks when Will Jacks (62 off 27 balls) and Kusal Mendis (29 off 19 balls) smashed their way to an 88-run partnership after seven overs.

The innings hit a speed bump when Rashid Khan (3/16) and Odean Smith (2/27) grabbed three wickets between them in 17 balls.

Theunis de Bruyn (36 off 26 balls) stabilised the innings before some lusty blows by James Neesham (22* off 18 balls) at the back end of the innings guided the Pretoria-side to 182/8.

MI Cape Town's chase got off to a rocky start when they lost Ryan Rickelton (11 off 11 balls) and Sam Curran (22 off 18 balls) by the eighth over.

Dewald Brevis (46 off 30 balls) and Rassie van der Dussen (24 off 25 balls) got the innings back on track with a 47-run partnership but when the former fell to Anrich Nortje (3/22) the Capitals were well on top.

That dismissal proved pivotal as the MI Cape Town innings snowballed, losing their remaining seven wickets for just 29 runs.

Pretoria Capitals captain Wayne Parnell claimed figures of 3/14 as he proved how lethal he can be at the death.