Uncapped South African all-rounder Delano Potgieter created history in SA20 as he starred with both bat and the ball on the opening day of the SA20 2025 with a match-winning performance for MI Cape Town against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. 28-year-old Delano Potgieter scored a quick-fire 25 from 12 balls to power Cape Town to 174/7, before picking a five-wicket haul in the defence to play a key role in the team’s 97-run win over the defending champions.
With this, he has registered a massive record. Delano Potgieter picked 5/10 in his three overs as he hardly gave anything away to the batters and has now registered the best figures in SA20 by a medium pacer/pace bowler.
Delano Potgieter (born 5 August 1996) is a South African first-class cricketer. He made his debut for Gauteng against Northerns and was in their 2018 Africa T20 Cup, where he scored the highest number of runs as he ended up with 217 runs from six matches. He also ended the 2018–19 CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge top of Gauteng’s wicket tally with 17 wickets from nine matches.
In September 2019, he played for the Jozi Stars in the Mzansi Super League and then later for the 2019–20 CSA Provincial T20 Cup. In April 2021, he was picked for the South Africa Emerging Men’s team for a tour of Namibia and later that year was included in North West’s squad for the 2021–22 season.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch report: “There is a little bit of breeze. Down the ground it is 73 meters. 66 meters on one side and 57 to the other. That (the shorter square boundary) is something the players will look to take advantage of. Little bit of dryness in the grass, it might aid spin. Looks a good pitch, nice and form. It might change under lights and the ball could skid on and come to the bat nicely” reckon Mike Haysman and Ashwell Prince.
Toss : Sunrisers Eastern Cape skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bowl with two spinners in the playing XI. Mumbai Indians Cape Town skipper Rashid Khan batting first also feels that there will be help for spinners in the pitch as Trent Boult makes his way in the playing XI.
Dewald Brevis quickfire 57 and late blitz from Delano Potgieter and George Linde powers MICT to 174 for 7 in 20 overs
MICT were asked to bat first and lost Reeza Hendricks to the fourth ball of the match. They’d crawled to 36 for 2 by the end of the PowerPlay, which soon became 42 for 3 as Richard Gleeson and Liam Dawson struck in quick succession. It was then that Dewald Brevis engineered a revival by stitching a 67-run stand with veteran Colin Ingram. The 39-year-old took a backseat as the young Brevis launched a terrific counterattack, slamming as many as six sixes in his 29-ball 57.
And it was only fitting that Brevis played a major role in the victory with the Rising Star delivering on his potential that was first seen in the competition opener at Newlands two seasons ago. The 21-year-old was in rousing form striking the ball cleanly from the outset. His first task was to take on the dual spin of Simon Harmer and Liam Dawson before launching successive straight sixes off seamer Beyers Swanepoel.
Although MICT lost Brevis heading into the final five overs, the momentum was maintained by Potgieter (25 not out, 12 balls) and George Linde (23 not out, 17 balls) with an unbroken 41-run partnership. The pair took 24 runs off Sunrisers’ Marco Jansen’s final over which swung the momentum in MICT’s favour which they never relinquished for the remainder of the evening.
Once that partnership was ended, MICT lost a couple of quick wickets but Delano Potgieter arrived to provide the crucial flourish at the end in the company of George Linde (23*) with the pair adding 42 runs in just 21 balls to give the total significant heft. Although MICT lost Brevis heading into the final five overs, the momentum was maintained by Potgieter (25 not out, 12 balls) and George Linde (23 not out, 17 balls) with an unbroken 41-run partnership.
Robin Peterson’s MICT outfit dominated all facets on the night with Dewald Brevis smashing 57 off just 29 balls to lift the visitors to 174/7 before Delano Potgieter and Trent Boult combined to dismiss the Sunrisers for just 77.
Delano Potgieter’s 5 wickets for 10 runs in 3 overs skittles SEC for paltry 77 runs to give MICT thumping 97 runs bonus point win.
Sunrisers’ chase started on wobbly footing as PowerPlay specialist Trent Boult took a double-wicket maiden in just his second over for the franchise, sending back the English pair of Zak Crawley and Tom Abell. When Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Jordan Hermann two balls later, the holders were down to 16 for 3 on a pitch that was nipping around and stopping on the batters.
Delano Potgieter claimed the dreamlike career-best figures of 5-10, but it was the New Zealand international Boult (2/16) that set the tone with a superb new-ball spell that yielded a double-wicket maiden third over. The 35-year-old showed his world class ability to swing the new ball back into the right-hander, which accounted for Sunrisers’ England Test opener Zak Crawley.
With Sunrisers already in deep trouble after the strikes of Trent Boult, Azmatullah Omarzai and George Linde, Delano Potgieter took apart the middle and lower middle order with his wily bowling.
Delano Potgieter came to bowl in the 11th over with the defending champions already reeling at 48/4. The all-rounder picked up three wickets in his first over. He began his act by cleaning up No.6 Beyers Swanepoel on his first ball, before edging out David Bedingham on the third ball. He ended any hopes of a comeback with a test-match dismissal of Aiden Markram on the fifth ball that caught the SEC skipper’s edge after moving a tad from the back of a length outside off-stump.
Delano Potgieter returned and picked up the wickets of Liam Dawson and the final one of Richard Gleeson in the 13th and 15th over to win the game for MICT.
Delano Potgieter was introduced into the attack only in the second half, by when Sunrisers’ chase was heading no where – they were 49 for 4 after 10 overs. He cleaned up Beyers Swanepoel with a yorker first ball and also added the wickets of South Africa internationals David Bedingham and Aiden Markram in the same dramatic over.
He added the wickets of Liam Dawson and finished the game off by castling Gleeson with his 18th ball as Sunrisers folded with a full five overs to spares. With this, he has joined an elite list of bowlers featuring Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga among others. He has become the seventh bowler from an MI franchise to pick up a fifer in T20 leagues.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Aiden Markram the losing SEC skipper said : Tough day all round. We held length pretty well. There was enough in the wicket for us, and the boys bowled well in the first six. I thought Brevis played really well. The odd over here and there – they end up getting to 170. Just weren’t up to the mark with bat in hand.
Rashid Khan the winning MICT skipper said : Brilliant start for us. That’s the start you always want. We’ve had a couple of tough years. He is someone who can change the momentum at any time (talking about Brevis). He has the skill and ability. Brilliant innings under pressure and the way he struck the ball was amazing to see.
Someone like him has done this for a long period of time (talking about Boult). His experience always helps. Special guy (talking about Potgieter). From last two years he hasn’t bowled much in T20, but the way he delivered today, so happy for him.
Delano Potgieter Player of the Match for his all round skills said : I don’t know what to say. It was lovely. I guess I’ll just take it as it comes, it was lovely. This is the first time I’ve bowled for MICT in three seasons. I just tried to keep it simple to be honest. Just tried to hit the top of the stumps, and it was working tonight. Only came in the 18th over so I did everything I could to take the score up (with the bat).
What a start from MI Cape Town as they hammer the defending champions by a whopping 97 runs in their own backyard. Delano Potgieter won’t forget this performance in a hurry. Unreal figures of 5/10 for him, helping his team win by a bonus point. The Sunrisers were never in the chase on a pitch that was playing all sorts of tricks.
There was movement with the new ball, it was two-paced, the bounce was variable and there was grip and turn on offer as well. It took a superlative knock from Dewald Brevis earlier in the evening to lead the charge with the bat for the visitors, and guess what, Delano Potgieter made a contribution there as well, smashing 25 off just 12 balls. And then it was just carnage in the run-chase, kicked off by Boult with the new ball and followed up by Delano Potgieter.
A team that finished rock-bottom in both the previous editions has absolutely demolished the two-time defending champions today. Remarkable season-opener we’ve had here in Gqeberha where the home crowd was left stunned by Potgieter’s 5/10. So it’s a bonus point win for MI Cape Town to kick off their campaign, that too in the absence of key players like Rabada and Rickelton. Long way to go yet but the early signs are promising for Rashid Khan’s team.