SA20 | Twitter in disbelief as Faf takes flight in insane eight-over shootout against MI to chase down 98

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Faf du Plessis and Leus de Plooy kept Joburg Super Kings in the hunt for a playoff spot by heroically chasing down 98 runs off just 32 deliveries in a rain-affected game. The duo's efforts overpowered Kieron Pollard's blitz earlier in the night and saw JSK leapfrog past MI Cape Town into fourth.

โ€ŒOpting to bowl first, Joburg Super Kings got off to an effective start with Moeen Ali and Nandre Burger keeping things tight with the new ball. Rassie van der Dussen eventually broke the shackles with a brilliant ramp off Lizaad Williams for six but could not pile on the momentum and eventually lobbed on to mid-off for an 18-ball 16 in the fifth over. Before the new partnership of Ryan Rickelton and Liam Livingstone could improve upon the sedate powerplay score of 43/1, the skies opened up and prolonged showers meant the duo just had two more overs to go gung-ho with the game now an eight-over per side affair. Imran Tahir ensured neither got their wish by dismissing both at either end of his over once play resumed but he was not as successful in containing Kieron Pollard, the Caribbean giant smashing a huge maximum and a cracking boundary. Pollard ended up playing the entirety of the last over as well and dispatched David Wiese for three shattering heaves, including two to cap off the innings and take the team to a daunting 80/3 on the back of his 10-ball cameo of 33 runs.

The target was revised to 98 by the DLS method, provoking the Super Kings to send the explosive Leus de Plooy to open the innings alongside Faf du Plessis. The 29-year-old repaid the faith by heaving Nuwan Thushara twice beyond the fence to kickstart the chase and adding a boundary to his tally later in the over. The skipper mirrored his younger compatriot by pulling Kagiso Rabada's opening effort over deep square leg to eventually post a handsome 36/0 in the two-over powerplay. Pollard turned to George Linde in hopes of containing the runs but to no avail with the spinner snuffed out for 21 runs. Rabada ran in again hoping to turn things around and was met with three boundaries off Faf's blade followed by another maximum. The Joburg skipper eventually reached 50 off just 20 deliveries, surviving his counterpart's game-delaying tactics in search of an abandonment, while Leus remained unbeaten on 41 off 14 to clinch a bonus point by completing the chase in just 5.2 overs.

Back to business

What a chase

Power duo

Lose by bonus point

But how?

Super thriller

Owning MI

Well played

Fantastic victory

Hammering



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