Stoinis and Ahmed help Super Giants to victory over MI Cape Town

Marcus Stoinis and Noor Ahmed took three wickets each as Durban’s Super Giants beat MI Cape Town by 36 runs in their SA20 fixture at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday. 

Set a challenging 158 to win on a tricky surface, the home team were tied down by spin and pace-off seam deliveries, struggling to keep up with the required rate as they fell way shot on 121 for nine. 

Afghan left-arm wristspinner Noor, 19, was a bag of tricks in the middle of the innings, picking up the big wickets of Liam Livingstone and Kieron Pollard in his three-wicket haul for only 22 runs. 

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj also played a significant role conceding only 14 runs in his three overs while landing the scalp of Rassie van de Dussen. 

Australian Stoinis varied his pace superbly and sent both Sam Curran (38) and Dewald Brevis packing in his return of three for 18. 

Curran was the only batter to get to grips with the visiting attack, slamming four sixes and a four in 27 balls. 

The victory took the Super Giants back into second position on the log, behind the Paarl Royals and ahead of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in third.  

It also snapped their two-match losing streak. 

Earlier, Maharaj called incorrectly at the toss and MI Cape Town captain Pollard asked the Super Giants to bat. 

After a bright start by Matthew Breetzke (48) and Tony de Zorzi (20), Pollard introduced spin in the form of left armer George Linde, who made an immediate impact in his first over. 

First, he bowled Tony de Zorzi before repeating the dosage on Quinton de Kock off the very next ball, the Proteas wicketkeeper dragging the delivery back onto his wicket without scoring. 

The pitch was playing slowly, and that prompted the introduction of unorthodox left-arm spinner Thomas Kaber, who was just as effective as Linde. 

Kaber continued to impress in the tournament, this time accounting for Jon-Jon Smuts (26) and Heinrich Klaasen (6). 

He took 2/20 while returned figures of 2/15. 

But their hard work was undone at the back of the innings as the seamers missed their areas and Breetzke and Wiaan Mulder, who was particularly destructive for his 38 off 20 balls, propelled innings towards a competitive and winning total.

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