After three previous defeats under the watch of Table Mountain, the Royals completed a Season 4 Western Cape derby double with a comprehensive seven-wicket bonus point victory. The Royals have now leapfrogged Sunrisers Eastern Cape into second place on 13 points – just two points adrift of table-toppers Joburg Super Kings.

MI Cape Town, on the other hand, have slumped to their fourth defeat in five games and their third at home.

Ottneil Baartman celebrating another wicket. Photo: Facebook/ BPL T20

Zimbabwe international Sikander Raza was once again the hosts’ worst nightmare. He followed up his 3/27 on his Royals debut last Friday with a match-winning 4/13 from his four overs. The off-spinner was ably supported by 19-year-old rookie Nqobani Mokoena (2/10) and the experienced Ottneil Baartman (2/8) as MI Cape Town crumbled to 88 all out – their lowest score in the history of the competition. 

Reeza Hendricks, on 18 off 24 balls, scored the most runs for the hosts, but it was a pretty dismal affair all around. The Royals lost Lhuan-dre Pretorius early in the chase to Trent Boult, but a solid 54-run partnership between Asa Tribe and Rubin Hermann for the second wicket set the visitors on the path to victory.

Although both Hermann (18, 2x4) and Tribe (34, 3x4, 2x6) fell before the finish line was crossed, there would be no further setbacks with Kyle Verreynne (10 not out, 1x4) and his captain, David Miller (19 not out, 2x4, 1x6), sealing the bonus point victory and Cape bragging rights for the boys in pink. MI Cape Town need to get back to the drawing board urgently for their next match against Joburg Super Kings in Cape Town on Tuesday, while the Royals will have a little rest before they travel to Johannesburg on Thursday to take on the Joburg Super Kings.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger cvs/mvh