We’ve always had the players, but now the senior group has pulled everyone together
MI Cape Town’s Kagiso Rabada in full flight during the Betway SA20 Qualifier 1 at Port Elizabeth, on Tuesday. PIC/SA20
Moments after MI Cape Town (MICT) comfortably beat Paarl Royals (PR) by 39 runs in Qualifier 1 to storm into their maiden Betway SA20 final at St George’s Park on Tuesday night here, star pacer Kagiso Rabada revealed the reasons for the franchise’s dominance this season. The table-toppers have won eight of their 11 matches so far, including Qualifier 1, and are on a five-match winning streak as they head into a well-earned three-day break before meeting their final opponent on Saturday, February 8, at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
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Rashid Khan and Trent Boult
“We responded well under pressure. We’ve been doing that throughout the tournament and hopefully we can do that even in the final too,” Rabada said at the post-match press conference, referring to PR’s quickfire start to the chase, where they picked up 21 runs off the first over by Trent Boult.
“We’ve always had the players, but now the senior group has pulled everyone together. Everyone is looking to make an impact. Even our bench, whenever they come out, they are ready. The hunger is always there. The players are backing each other and stepping up,” added Rabada, who did just that when he stepped up to dismiss PR’s young and extremely talented opening batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 18, after he had hammered Boult for two fours and a gorgeous flick for a six off the first three balls of the chase. Rabada shrewdly bowled a widish delivery, drawing the teenager into the drive away from his body. The youngster went for it, only to edge it wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, who took a brilliant diving catch to bring his team right back into the match. Refusing to take any credit though, Rabada, who picked 2-18, put down the Pretorius dismissal to “just simple line and length.”
Rabada credited his senior teammates Trent Boult and skipper Rashid Khan, for the team’s consistency. “We have a very good bowling attack. Boulty [Boult] has been dominating world cricket for a long time as has Rashid. I’m trying to do my bit too. Then you have George [Linde, left-arm spinner] who has been bowling really well and other guys like Boschy [pacer Corbin Bosch] who is showing the world just what he can do. So, ours is a well-balanced bowling attack. With spin and seam there’s always a threat coming your way,” added Rabada. Put into bat, MICT posted an impressive 199-4 in 20 overs. In reply, PR were bowled out for 160 in 19.2 overs.
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