DURBAN, South Africa, CMC – Keemo Paul had a tidy all-round performance. It was part of the Durban Super Giants that made a successful start to the SA20 tournament with an 11-run win under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method against Mumbai Indians Cape Town on Thursday.
Paul was the most successful DSG bowler with two for 31 from his allotted four overs after MI Cape Town – led by former West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard – was put into bat and posted an impressive 207 for five in the second match of the tournament at Kingsmead Stadium.
Pollard struck four fours and one six in 31 not out from 14 balls and helped beef up the MI Cape Town total after Ryan Rickelton produced a sizzling 87 from 51 balls to put their side’s innings into overdrive early on in front of a crowd of 10 000.
Paul made 15, and West Indies left-handed batsman Nicholas Pooran failed to fire, scoring only 11. Still, Heinrich Klaasen put his decision to retire from Tests earlier this week behind him to slam 85 off 35 balls and propel DSG to 177 for six after 16.3 overs before a late downpour brought an early finish to the contest with the hosts ahead of the scoring rate.
DSG’s reply was stifled early when Quinton de Kock and Wiaan Mulder fell within the first three overs, but Matthew Breetzke and Paul guided the hosts to 52 for two at the end of the Power Play.
Paul top-edged a pull and was caught at short third man in the seventh over, and Breetzke struck a few delightful boundaries in his 39 off 24 balls before he was caught in the deep off England left-arm pacer Sam Curran.
DSG were 99 for four with 9.5 overs remaining, and the match hung in the balance when Pooran joined Klaasen.
The former West Indies white-ball captain hit a couple of scorching drives, but his time at the crease was short-lived when he, too, was caught in the deep off England spinner Liam Livingstone with 68 required from 39 balls.
Klaasen seized the initiative with a clinical assault on the MI Cape Town spinners, forcing Pollard to turn to Kagiso Rabada.
The South African fast bowler responded with the scalp of Klaasen caught at long-off shortly before the weather intervened, but it had no bearing on the result.
Earlier, Rickelton, opening the batting, showed his intent, taking 23 off the first over of the match bowled by England pacer Richard Gleeson.
MI Cape Town ended the Power Play on 61 without loss, and Rickelton and fellow opener Rassie van der Dussen shared an 82-run opening stand.
Paul made the breakthrough for DSG in the eighth over when he got van der Dussen caught at deep mid-wicket for 24.
Dewald Brevis walked in at No. 3 and struck his first ball to the boundary, but his innings was short-lived, with DSG captain Keshav Maharaj having him brilliantly caught in the deep by a diving Breetzke.
Pacer Dwaine Pretorius, a Caribbean Premier League-winning Guyana Amazon Warriors member, got MI Cape Town rookie Connor Esterhuizen caught by Paul at deep point for 17 in the 13th over.
Paul added the scalp of Rickelton four overs later when he deceived the batsman with a slower ball, forcing him to play it onto his stumps. Still, brisk cameos from Livingstone and Pollard enabled the visitors to keep the momentum going towards the closing stages of the innings.
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