Cape Town, Jan 14 (IANS): MI Cape Town returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 33-run victory over neighbours Paarl Royals in the first installment of the SA20 Cape derby at Newlands.

Newlands, which was filled to capacity for MI Cape Town’s first home game of Season 3, was an image of splendour with the sun setting gloriously over Table Mountain. It was the perfect setting for MI Cape Town to deliver a near-perfect allround performance.

New signing Reeza Hendricks led the way with the bat with his first half-century for MI Cape Town. Hendricks played with all the panache that has earned him a reputation as one of the finest T20 batters in the land.

His 59 off 37 balls provided the foundation for the home side to post a formidable 172/7. Hendricks was ably supported by Rassie van der Dussen (43 off 33 balls) as the pair shared a 78-run partnership off 54 balls before the in-form Delano Potgieter smashed another 18-ball 29 to provide the late innings momentum.

The Royals’ run-chase began in positive fashion with Joe Root (26) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (26) smashing 38 runs in just the three overs.

However, the introduction of Kagiso Rabada into the MI Cape Town attack reaped immediate rewards with the fast bowler dismissing both Root and Pretorius within a couple of overs of each other.

It was even more remarkable due to both being wicket maiden overs from Rabada.

The Royals never recovered from the double blow with MI Cape Town’s spin twins George Linde and Rashid Khan weaving a web around the visitors’ middle-order.

Linde bowled beautifully to finish with figures of 3-15, while Rashid claimed 2-28.

The two Western Cape sides will go head-to-head again in the rematch of the Cape Town derby in a couple of days time at Boland Park on Wednesday.