JSK won the toss at the Wanderers on Saturday (11/1) and invited the visitors from Cape Town to bat first.

The in-form Proteas all-rounder George Linde scored 48 not out off 35 balls, while Delano Potgieter, the player of the match against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, scored an unbeaten 44 off 22 balls, as the visitors posted 140/6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Delano Potgieter. Photo: SA20

Namibian international David Wiese, who previously represented South Africa as well, was the pick of the JSK bowlers with 1/19 in his four overs, while Evan Jones took 1/24.

In the run chase, the rain first came down in the sixth over with the Super Kings’ score at 37/1. Only a few more overs were completed after play resumed before the rain brought a final halt to play, with the Super Kings’ score at 82/3 after 11.3 overs.

Captain Faf du Plessis top-scored for JSK with 30, while the former Free State and Knights batter Leus du Plooy was on 24 not out. The Proteas great Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the MI Cape Town bowlers with 2/10 in 2.3 overs.

The former Proteas skipper and player of the match, Du Plessis, said it certainly wasn’t an easy wicket to play on as the weather allowed the ball to move.

“It was a tricky wicket – in both innings we saw the new ball move a lot, so you have to keep that intent,” said Du Plessis.

Faf du Plessis. Photo: SA20

“It was one of those innings where it’s nice to get the team off to a good start. I thought we were excellent in the field, especially with how the guys put their bodies on the line. And I thought we didn’t bowl that well in the last three overs, which gave them 20 runs more than we would have liked to chase. Having a good powerplay was a good way to break their back.”

Meanwhile, earlier on Saturday, the Paarl Royals got their campaign off to a perfect start with a nine-wicket thumping of the defending champions, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, at Boland Park in Paarl.

In Sunday’s game, the Pretoria Capitals will host the Durban Super Giants at SuperSport Park in Centurion in the return fixture. On Friday, DSG beat the Capitals by two runs in a humdinger at Kingsmead. Play in the capital city is scheduled to get underway at 17:30.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg