Cape Town — The Betway SA20 is being billed as the future of South African. And on the evidence of Tuesday night’s opener at a heaving Newlands, Dewald Brevis will be the poster boy.
Brevis lit up the grand old ground with a sparkling 70 not out (41 balls, 4x4. 5x6) to ease MI Cape Town to a rousing eight-wicket victory over the Paarl Royals.
But it was not just the Brevis show after England’s superstar fast bowler Jofra Archer had everyone salivating earlier in the afternoon.
It's not déjà vu, that's just @BrevisDewald
doing his thing. 🔥#Betway #SA20 @Betway_India #MICTvPR pic.twitter.com/9CLMusOoD6
This is what this brand new tournament had promised. A world class fast bowler operating at full tilt. And the MI Cape Town superstar did not disappoint as he whistled past Paarl Royals’ Wihann Lubbe’s outside edge. The SA20 had lift-off and a packed Newlands was buzzing.
They remained in high spirits throughout as MI Cape Town romped home in this one-sided opening game.
Archer (3/27) was brilliant with the ball and did not look at all like someone that had not played any major competitive cricket for the past 18 months. His second spell was particularly incisive as he struck twice in two balls to help restrict the Royals to 142/7.
Archer’s dismissal of Royals captain David Miller (42 off 31 balls, 4x4, 1x6) was particularly significant as it stemmed any momentum the visitors were hoping to create. With Olly Stone (2/31) also uprooting middle stumps for fun, MI Cape Town’s bowlers had laid the table for the explosive batting unit the freedom to entertain.
And Brevis and Ryan Rickleton duly accepted the invitation. Rickleton was fortunate to survive a straightforward drop chance in Codi Yusuf’s first over, but from there on it was about the Men in Blue.
Rickelton was the initial aggressor with a 33-ball 42 (5x4, 1x6) in the 90-run opening partnership. But after he was clean bowled by Ramon Simmonds, the stage was set for the teenage prodigy Brevis to entertain his new home crowd.
And the youngster did not disappoint. Brevis’ striking was red-hot as he struck five mammoth sixes straight down the ground.
The Royals would have hoped for much more when England’s T20 World Cup winning captain Jos Buttler was keeping the visitors’ innings together with a 42-ball 51.
However, the loss of key wickets at crucial junctures kept MI Cape Town in control as the Royals were never really able to break free from the shackles.
The people have spoken; @BrevisDewald is your Player of the Match! #OneFamily #MICapeTown pic.twitter.com/rRs59oRGPF
Equally, the Royals will feel they left plenty in the shed, especially in the field as they were not quite up to par on Tuesday evening.
In addition to Dane Vilas’ grassed opportunity off Rickleton, there was another dropped catch by Tabraiz Shamsi off his bowling after Sam Curran (20) was promoted to No 3.
Coach JP Duminy will hope that it is purely early tournament rustiness and that they will improve as it progresses.
However, this was a night that belonged to MI Cape Town and Dewald Brevis and they have surely provided a taste of what is still to come.
SCORECARD
Paarl Royals: 142/7
MI Cape Town: 143/2 (Brevis 70 not out, Rickelton 42
MI Cape Town won by 8 wickets
IOL Sport