SA20 begins with a bang as MI Cape Town humble two-time champions

Gqeberha (South Africa), PTI: A sea of fans clad in orange jerseys thronged the iconic St George's Park cricket ground here and remained in high spirits even after their side Sunrisers Eastern Cape began the SA20 campaign on a disappointing note. MI Cape Town could not have asked for a better start as Dewald Brevis' brisk 57 and all-round show from Delano Potgieter 12-ball 25 not out and 5/10 in three overs powered them to a massive 97-run win in the tournament opener. It was a start which MI Cape Town a team which finished last in both editions could not have dreamt of but for the defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, it is an early wake-up call, who were shot out for 77 in 15 overs chasing 175.

New Zealand veteran Trent Boult did not look like he was playing his first T20 game in South Africa as he struck twice in a row to rock SEC early, producing another masterclass with the new ball. "The beauty of these situations is to rub shoulders with some world class players and with some up and coming new or less experienced players and share secrets and watch each other train," Boult replied to a PTI query. "For me to have opportunities like that throughout my career. The guy on the opposite team, Dale Steyn (SEC bowling coach), I (still) remember bowling with him at Sunrisers (Hyderabad) 10-11 years ago, I would've never thought that would happen as a kid."