The match was delayed by an hour due to unseasonal rain in Cape Town. MICT won the toss and chose to bowl first. 

JSK captain Faf du Plessis and his new opening partner James Vince stormed out of the starting blocks with a 32-run partnership off just 2.4 overs before Vince (15 off 9 balls) was caught in the covers off George Linde. Du Plessis cracked four boundaries and a six to power JSK to 69/2 before the heavens opened again to force the players off the field. 

The second delay lasted 75 minutes, reducing the contest to 12 overs per side. The revised target of 128 was no problem for the hosts, and they reached it with four balls to spare. 

Rassie van der Dussen (35 off 24) and Jason Smith (22 off 7) both contributed handsomely for their team, but it was West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran, who was the star of the night (and Player of the Match), smashing 33 off only 15 balls, including five 6’s. After the match, Pooran said it was a relief to finally get a win for the loyal fans, who stuck around despite the rain.

“The crowd has been great for us through the campaign. Not just tonight. The rain was around, but they were loyal fans, and it’s great to get the points today,” he said.

Despite the win, MICT stays at the bottom of the points table, but is now only one point behind Pretoria Capitals, who have a game in hand. 

Likewise, JSK remained in second place, with half of their games played. The top four teams advance to the playoffs.

Later today, Durban Super Giants will host Pretoria Capitals in Durban at Kingsmead.  Play starts at 17:30.

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger mvh