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SA20 – Same winners but new stars and heroes

cricket14 February 2024 17:51| © SuperSport
By:Brendon Atwell
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The second edition of the Betway SA20 was a resounding success with fans and players alike.

The quality of the cricket played around the country, especially by some of the ‘lesser’ known players, showed that competitions such as the SA20 can unearth some vital talent.

The stroke-play, inventive shot-making, thoughtful bowling and stunning catches by players – and fans – raised the bar somewhat over the first season.

Cape Town hosted the final on 10 February with defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, looking to defend their title against hopefuls, Durban Super Giants.

As Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith said, “I love it when a plan comes together!”, were the thoughts echoed by captain Aiden Markram as the Sunrisers combined to post a daunting 204 for three with Tom Abell (55) and Tristan Stubbs (56 not out) posting half-centuries.

Marco Jansen (5-30), Dan Worrall (2-15) and Ottniel Baartman (2-17), who trapped the explosive Heinrich Klaasen in front first ball, combined to skittle the Super Giants for just 115 for a resounding 89-run victory to retain their crown in style.

KEY PLAYERS SHOW THEIR VALUE

There have been many wonderful performances during the SA20. Kyle Verreynne’s 116 not out against MI Cape Town off just 52 balls, Will Jacks hitting most of the biggest sixes and Markam’s sublime acrobatic catch at mid-off to dismiss JJ Smuts (who was victim to most of the stunning catches this season), but key players made the difference for their sides.

Ryan Rickelton was in a league of his own at the top of the order for MI Cape Town, scoring almost more than 100 runs than his nearest rival, Klaasen, having played three fewer matches.

The left-hander had a top score of 98 against the Joburg Super Kings while adding 94 not out, 90 and 87 to the mix. Rob Walter should have Rickelton on speed dial!

Viewed as probably the most destructive T20 batsman in the world at the moment, with a strike-rate of over 200, Klaasen deserves high praise.

The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman struck an unbelievable 37 maximums from just 215 balls faced, meaning the 32-year-old smashed a six every six balls in his 447 runs.

Playing spin has been his strength, most notably in the second qualifier against the Super Kings.

With the Super Giants struggling to make 170, Klaasen took Imran Tahir’s third over for 29 before scoring another 29 runs off Englishman Sam Cook, to help the Super Giants register 102 runs off the final six overs to post 211 for six.

The Sunrisers’ capture of Englishman Tom Abell proved a treat with the soon to be 30-year-old providing valuable experience in the top-order with his 286 runs, at just shy of 50 per innings but more importantly, his work-rate in the field was exceptional.

His Superman-esque boundary save attempt against the Super Giants earlier in the tournament, left fans astonished and added to the excitement of the SA20!

Having a price-tag of over R9-million can sometimes cause havoc with a young mind, but Stubbs proved otherwise.

The Knysna-born right-hander averaged over 60 this season, scoring 301 runs at a strike-rate over just over 168.

Stubbs’s half-century in the final, alongside Abell, proved to be definitive in posting a daunting total to chase in Cape Town.

Speaking of daunting, nothing can be more daunting than seeing a 2.06m tall left-arm speedster charging in at you from the striker’s end.

Marco Jansen, who began his cricketing career as a batsman, claimed 20 wickets, including his five-for in the final, to end top of the charts.

Jansen’s prowess with the bat also proved important as the right-hander scored a valuable 71 not out against the Royals in Paarl from just 31 balls, an innings that included four boundaries and six maximums.

Jansen and Baartman were key for the Sunrisers with Baartman adding 18 wickets to Jansen’s 20.

The Oudtshoorn-born paceman destroyed the Capitals with a devastating display of bowling, claiming 4-12 as the Capitals were dismissed for a paltry 52.

Baartman’s 4-10 against the Super Giants in the first qualifier was key in helping the defending champions to remain in Cape Town for a week in preparation for the final.

SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR

The Super Giants and Sunrisers had secured their places at the top of the log, while the Royals made sure of their place in the Eliminator thanks mainly to their early success with five wins in six matches.

However, the wheels came off for David Miller’s men, with five straight losses ending their tournament with a nine-wicket hammering at the hands of the Super Kings in the Eliminator.

It was all down to the final spot – fourth place – with the Super Kings, Capitals and MI Cape Town all vying for a trip to Johannesburg to play against the Royals in the Eliminator.

MI Cape Town headed into their final two matches against the Capitals, bottom of the log and needing two wins to secure their place.

Rickelton smashed a 45-ball 90 while Dewald Brevis clubbed three sixes in a 32-ball unbeaten 66 to help MI Cape Town post the highest total in SA20 history – 248 for four.

In reply, Verreynne scored the highest individual SA20 score, an unbeaten 116 from 52 balls in a man-alone effort that prevented MI Cape Town from securing an important bonus-point.

The victory left MI Cape Town just needing a win in the reverse fixture in Cape Town, irrespective of what transpired in the later game between the Super Kings and the high-flying Super Giants.

Despite 60 from Rassie van der Dussen, and a quick-fire 33 from captain Kieron Pollard, MI Cape Town could only manage 163 for nine.

Phil Salt (7) and Jacks (1) were back in the hut early, Rilee Rossouw (10) and Colin Ackermann (17) added little benefit to the scorecard, and when Goerge Linde (2-36) nabbed his provincial teammate, Verreynne (34), MI Cape Town were looking odds-on favourite to make the Eliminator.

But enter Theunis de Bruyn and Senuran Muthusamy! De Bruyn’s calm and measured 42 from 33 balls along with Muthusamy’s 18-ball unbeaten 38, not to mention Wayne Parnell’s unbeaten 12 from six balls at the death, saw the Capitals to victory by four wickets and two balls to spare.

And so the waiting game started as the Super Kings played host to Keshav Maharaj’s charges.

The equation was simple – a win for JSK would send them through while defeat would mean the Capitals would play against the Royals – and so the tension began.

The Super Giants posted a daunting 203 for six with half-centuries from JJ Smuts (55) and Wiaan Mulder (59) and a blistering 16-ball 40 from Klaasen.

Yet, the home side, who had only won two games prior to this match, had other ideas as Faf du Plessis (57) and Leus du Plooy (57) laid the foundation with a 102-run opening stand.

Wayne Madsen (44 not out), Moeen Ali (26) and Donovan Ferreira saw JSK into the Eliminator with a fantastic seven-wicket triumph with just one ball to spare.

Bring on season 3 Graeme Smith, bring on season 3!

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