Exclusive: Trent Boult on MI Cape Town’s Resurgence, Newlands Magic, and Bowling with Rabada

Having finished bottom of the table in the first two seasons of the SA20, MI Cape Town have turned their ship around this year as they currently sit second in the standings, behind Paarl Royals who sit comfortably at the top of the log.

The SA20 Experience

In seasons gone by MI Cape Town only managed three victories in each of the two seasons. This year, in only six matches, the Newlands-based unit has bagged three victories with four more matches remaining in the round-robin stage of the ongoing third season of the SA20.

Coach Robin Peterson's team has only lost to the log leaders, the Royals, who have been dominant thus far. Their other loss came at the Wanderers Stadium in a rain-affected encounter against the Joburg Super Kings.

Apart from those two outings, the side has been in good touch. From the batting point of view, Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton have done the business, while Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada have led the bowling attack excellently.

In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.com, former New Zealand international, Boult, spoke of his experience in the SA20, the beauty of the 'Mother City' and the culture in the MI Cape Town team.

"I have personally loved being a part of this competition and this MI Cape Town side as they have made me feel very welcome and valued from the outset," Boult told SportsBoom.com. 

"South Africa is one of the great cricketing nations and has a rich sporting history, so it is a pleasure to play in front of such passionate fans."

"The quality of cricket has been top notch and with our home venue being the beautiful Newlands with the backdrop of the majestic Table Mountain, there is no better place than this to be our home ground in the league."

"It’s one of the most picturesque grounds in the world and a place where most people dream of playing at least once. I have always loved playing in this country as the matches here make for a great spectacle."

MI Cape Town Culture

Boult added that the MI Cape Town has gelled well together, a feat that has played a hand in the team having its most successful run in the SA20.

The 35-year-old emphasised that starting competition well where they beat the defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the tournament opener, has been key in generating positive momentum.

"The team has gelled really well together and a lot in this format hinges on momentum. We have gotten off to a good start but we need to carry that forward and keep playing with the same intensity and hunger," he said.

"As a team, we have taken the lessons from what went wrong in previous seasons and tried to address that. We have received some fantastic support from the fans at our home ground in Newlands and that sort of atmosphere always gets the best out of players."

"We feel like we have been on a bit of a roll but the key is to sustain that till the business end of the tournament."

Boult-Rabada Partnership

Certainly, Boult's new ball partnership with Rabada has been an incredible addition to the MI Cape Town repertoire this season.

The pair have complemented each other superbly and their experience has shown in pressure moments.

"I have played a lot of cricket against KG and have always had the highest regard for him. In the last couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of bowling alongside him and it’s something that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed," Boult told SportsBoom.com.

"We feel like we have a very well-rounded attack and a solid pace pack. Corbin showed what he’s capable of in the home summer and Delano has had a fantastic start to the tournament. Both of them are very talented cricketers who’ll be doing a lot of great things for South African cricket in times to come."