MCT vs PR Match Preview
The MI Cape Town has been a bit inconsistent so far. With 1 win and 2 losses, the team is sitting 4th on the points table. However, there are plenty more matches to play and MI will look to build up a winning momentum.
MI Cape Town will rely on its in-form batting line-up to deliver the goods. The team has put up scores of 207, 243, and 198 in the 3 matches so far, making them one of the strongest batting units in the tournament.
Ryan Rickelton is in scintillating form, scoring half-centuries in each of his 3 outings. He is also the leading run-getter of this season. He has received excellent support from his opening partner, Rassie van der Dussen. With the likes of Dewald Brevis, Sam Curran, and Kieron Pollard following lower down the order, there is no dearth of talent in the MI squad.
However, it is the batting that has let the team down in all the 3 matches and that is something they would like to work on. Kagiso Rabada will be the strike bowler for the team. He has picked up 3 wickets so far. However, he has received little support from the other seamers including George Linde, Olly Stone, and Beuran Hendricks as all of them have given away close to 10 runs per over.
Liam Livingstone, who leads the spin attack, has fared even worse in terms of economy rate.
On the other hand, the Paarl Royals are one of the best-performing teams so far. They have won each of their 3 matches and are sitting pretty at the top of the table. However, with the Durban Super Giants close on its heels, the Royals will look to win here to create some distance from the rest of the pack.
Jos Buttler and Jason Roy are likely to open the proceedings with the bat. While Roy isn’t in the best of forms, Jos Buttler smashed 70 from just 37 deliveries in the previous game to help the team claim its 3rd consecutive win.
Mitchell van Buuren and David Miller are the other two batsmen who are in good form and can add quick runs at any stage of the game. All-rounders Wihan Lubbe, Andile Phehlukwayo, and Fabian Allen add depth to the batting while also providing variety in bowling.
The seamers have done a brilliant job so far. Lungi Ngidi is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 8 wickets. He is well-supported by Phehlukwayo and Obed McCoy, with both claiming 4 wickets each.
The spin attack will be led by Tabraiz Shamsi, who has bowled a good line and length but has managed to pick up only 2 wickets so far.
Weather Report
The weather in Cape Town is likely to be clear with no clouds and no chance of rain. The temperature will remain between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and a gentle breeze is expected to blow through the ground.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Newlands is well-balanced and provides an even contest between the bat and the ball. The average first-inning score here is around 170, but the team batting first will look to get as close to 200 as possible.
There is some swing on offer when the ball is new, but things settle down as the ball gets softer and older. There is some dew expected in the latter half of the match so bowling first might be a good option.
The spinners will be able to extract some turn during the second innings.
Notable stats
RVD: Underrated T20 Star
Rassie van der Dussen is a consistent performer in the SA20. In his last 10 outings, he has scored 389 runs at an average of 38.9 and a strike rate of 145.14.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
MCT vs PR Probable 11
MCT Playing 11
- Ryan Rickelton (Wk)
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Dewald Brevis
- Liam Livingstone
- Kieron Pollard (C)
- Sam Curran
- Connor Esterhuizen
- George Linde
- Kagiso Rabada
- Beuran Hendricks
- Olly Stone
PR Playing 11
- Jason Roy
- Jos Buttler (Wk)
- David Miller (C)
- Wihan Lubbe
- Mitchell van Buuren
- Andile Phehlukwayo
- Fabian Allen
- Bjorn Fortuin
- Lungi Ngidi
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Obed McCoy
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Paarl Royals to win this match. They have been clinical in their performance so far and have won each of their 3 matches. On the other hand, the MI Cape Town have struggled to get the desired results due to poor bowling and are unlikely to bounce back in this match.
Top Picks
Ryan Rickelton: Ryan Rickelton is in prime form and has scored half-centuries in each of his 3 innings so far. He is also the leading run-getter of this season.
Lungi Ngidi: Ngidi is the leading wicket-taker of this season with 8 wickets in 3 matches. He has a bowling average of 9.87 and a bowling strike rate of 8.8.
Andile Phehlukwayo: A quality all-rounder, Phehlukwayo has scored 28 runs at a strike rate of 200 and has also picked up 4 wickets.
MCT vs PR Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Buttler, R Rickelton (C)
Batters: D Miller, R van der Dussen, M van Buuren
All-rounders: A Phehlukwayo, S Curran, W Lubbe
Bowlers: K Rabada, L Ngidi (VC), O McCoy
