Jordan Hermann and Ottniel Baartman shine as Sunrisers see off MI Cape Town

Sunrisers openers Hermann and Dawid Malan began like a house on fire, bringing up 96 in the first ten overs. Hermann had already picked up his half-century by that point and Malan followed suit bringing up his half-century in the 13th over.

MI Cape Town's captain Kieran Pollard made the long-awaited breakthrough with his very first ball when he caught and bowled Malan to break the 138-run opening stand. The West Indian picked up another in his next over and was slowing the run rate down as well.

Things definitely slowed down from then on out but not enough to deny Hermann a memorable hundred, which he brought up off just 59 balls. Pollard and Kagiso Rabada were the pick of the MI bowlers with economy rates of just over seven an over.

MI Cape Town needed 203 to win and began their chase very positively, much like the Sunrisers had begun theirs. Rassie van der Dussen (41 off 28 balls) and Ryan Rickelton (58 off 33) got the hosts off to a flyer looking to enhance their credentials for a spot in the Proteas' T20 World Cup squad.

The opening stand reached 108 before four wickets fell in the space of three overs to slow the run rate and bring Sam Curran and skipper Pollard to the crease. Baartman was the chief destroyer for the Eastern Cape outfit as he claimed the prized scalps of Rickelton, Dewald Brevis and Liam Livingstone, while Liam Dawson dismissed Van der Dussen.

Pollard and Curran resurrected the chase and took MI to two overs left and needing 26. Pollard would fall on the first ball of the 19th over when he holed out to Marco Jansen at long-on. There was still another twist as Curran and Connor Esterhuizen's sixes meant MI needed 15 from the last over.

It swung back in MI's favour when Esterhuizen smashed a Baartman full toss into the stands. However, the rookie seamer responded admirably and conceded just four runs off the last five as he finished with four overs and 3 for 35.

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