(Cricket news) Pretoria Capitals went to the top of the table and opened a gap between the five other Betway SA20 teams after they claimed a 52-run victory over MI Cape Town at Newlands on Monday.  After being sent in to bat, the Capitals relied heavily on Will Jacks (62 off 27 balls) and Kusal Mendis (29 off 19 balls) as they smashed an 88-run partnership after seven overs.  Rashid Khan (3/16) and Odean Smith (2/27) grabbed three wickets between them in 17 balls. 

Theunis de Bruyn (36 off 26 balls) stabilised the innings before some lusty blows by James Neesham (22* off 18 balls) at the back end of the innings helped the Pretoria-side to 182/8.  MI Cape Town’s chase got off to a rocky start when they lost Ryan Rickelton (11 off 11 balls) and Sam Curran (22 off 18 balls) by the eighth over.   

Dewald Brevis (46 off 30 balls) and Rassie van der Dussen (24 off 25 balls) got the innings back on track with a 47-run partnership but the South African fell to Anrich Nortje (3/22) the Capitals were well on top. That dismissal proved pivotal as the MI Cape Town innings collapsed, losing their remaining seven wickets for just 29 runs. Pretoria Capitals captain Wayne Parnell claimed figures of 3/14 as he proved how lethal he can be at the death.

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