MI Cape Town's Last-Gasp Victory Keeps SA20 Playoff Dreams Alive

MI Cape Town kept their SA20 playoff hopes alive with a nail-biting three-wicket win against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Newlands on Friday. The victory earns Cape Town four crucial points, propelling them to 14 points with a crucial clash at St George's Park still to come, according to the SA20 website.

Even with the triumph, MI Cape Town failed to secure a bonus point, allowing Pretoria Capitals, Sunrisers, and Paarl Royals to secure their playoff berths. Thrilling the sold-out Newlands crowd, bowler Trent Boult made an immediate impact by removing Quinton de Kock on the first ball.

Maintaining a stronghold throughout the match, Boult achieved figures of 3/28, and Corbin Bosch impressed with 4/34. Sunrisers struggled with Newlands' challenging surface, save for Marco Jansen's explosive 48 off 23 balls. Jansen's prowess appeared again as he disrupted MI Cape Town’s start, yet Reeza Hendricks’ steady 41 off 43 anchored the chase.

George Linde and Kieron Pollard contributed quick runs, but a tense finish ensued. Hendricks' dismissal off the penultimate over’s last ball left Cape Town needing four runs off the final over. A costly no-ball from Senuran Muthusamy amid dramatic scenes saw Bosch capitalize on a free hit, sealing the much-needed win for his team.