MI Cape Town comfortably beat Joe Root’s Paarl Royals by 33 runs in the SA20, but were denied a bonus-point win by some resilient lower-order batting.

Cape Town posted 172-7 with Reeza Hendricks (59 off 37 balls) and Rassie van der Dussen (43 off 33) sharing 79 for the second wicket.

They were pegged back to 127-5 but Delano Potgieter gave the innings some late impetus with a spritely 29 off 18.

In reply, Root, who made a match-winning 62 on debut, was dismissed tamely flicking Kagiso Rabada to short fine leg for 26 off 14 balls.

Paarl were 81-8 but Afghanistan’s Mujeeb ur Rahman (34) and Kwena Maphaka (22 not out) saw them to 139-9 – two runs above the total Cape Town needed to restrict them to for the bonus point.

Spinner George Linde took 3-15 while Rabada claimed 2-22 and Rashid Khan 2-28.

Tuesday is a double-header with Pretoria Capitals playing Sunrisers Eastern Cape (11:00 GMT) and Durban’s Super Giants facing Joburg Super Kings.