SA20 - What a first Week!

Australian fans of the Big Bash may disagree and there will be other dissenters, but the popular, global view is that the SA20 has established itself as the second best T20 tournament in the world after the IPL – and the first week of Season Three has done nothing to dispel that view. In fact, it has enhanced it.

Previously under-achieving MI Cape Town kicked things off with a thumping, bonus-point victory against defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape who lost again in Paarl. They lost the first two games in the inaugural season and still won the title.

Established stars did their thing but youngsters also had some glorious moments, none more so than Luan-dre Pretorius for the Paarl Royals, also against the Sunrisers.

Neil Manthorp has a look at the tournament so far:

TOP PERFORMANCE: Dewald Brevis blasting half a dozen sixes in his 57 from 29 balls for MICT was a timely reminder of his talent (if one was needed) and Wiaan Mulder’s 45 from 19 balls was a screamer. There were plenty of other contenders but, ultimately, they didn’t come close to the astonishing match enjoyed by Delano Potgieter for MI Cape Town against defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

The allrounder smashed 25* from just 12 balls to boost the two-time wooden spoonists to an impressive total of 174-7 and then, having never bowled a ball in two previous seasons based at Newlands, he claimed astonishing figures of 5-10 to lead his team to an emphatic, bonus point 97-run victory.

TOP BOWLER: It was Potgieter with the eye-catching figures but in T20 cricket the numbers don’t always reflect the importance of the bowler’s contribution, often just a single over, sometimes only a ball or two. Needing 17 from the final two overs with two established batsmen at the crease, the Pretoria Capitals were unpicked by Keshav Maharaj who claimed the wicket of Liam Livingstone and conceded just three runs from the 19th over. Bowler of the week with figures of 4-0-39-1? Exactly.

TOP BATTER:  We can pretend there is a long list of contenders, or maybe a short list. But the list has just one name on it. Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ 97 from just 51 balls was astonishing for the Paarl Royals against the Sunrisers. Boland Park is South Africa’s lowest scoring ground and the most difficult to hit boundaries with its slow pitch and large playing area. Tristan Stubbs admitted he “couldn’t hit the ball off the square” during a 102-run partnership with Aiden Markram in which he hit just a single six and no fours.

18-year-old Pretorius smashed ten fours and six sixes. The SA Under-19 star is destined for the senior national team sooner rather than later.

OUTSTANDING TEAM: Having finished bottom of the log in the first two seasons it was vital that MI Cape Town started strongly this year. But a bonus point victory by 97-runs against the defending champions, on their own turf, exceeded most hopes and expectations. They may have lost their second game to the Jo’burg Super Kings but recovering from 30-4 and 75-6 to post 140-6 to make a real game of it at the Wanderers was further proof of MICT’s renewed resolve in season three.

TOP OVERSEAS PLAYER: Kane Williamson’s 60 not out for DSG was an example of exactly what the Durban team wanted when they bought him. PC’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz probably exceeded expectations with a ferocious 89 from 43 balls and opening partner Will Jacks was barely less explosive with 64 from 35, but one of them should have completed the job and avoided the horrible collapse which cost them victory against DSG.

Paarl Royals acquired Joe Root to do the same job as Williamson – and he did it to perfection against Sunrisers, a calm 62 not out (44 balls) guiding his team to victory just as he had guided the precociously talented Luan-dre Pretorius during his stunning 97.

BEST MATCH: The Capitals won’t agree but their clash with DSG at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead was a classic of the ‘it’s never over until it’s over’ genre. Otherwise known as a ‘choke’. Chasing 210 for victory the Capitals enjoyed an opening stand of 154 in just 12 overs requiring just 56 from the final 48 balls but slumped to 207-6. It was a pickpocket by the home side and a charitable giveaway by the visitors.

TOP TALKING POINT: Is this the second best T20 tournament in the world? Does the ILT20, for all it’s financial pulling power, have crowds? Does that make a difference to the quality of the product?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I don't know what to say, 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. I only came in in the 18th over so I did everything I could to push the score up with the bat.” – Delano Potgieter after claiming 5-10 and scoring an unbeaten 25 from 12 balls.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: MI Cape Town against the Royals in the first of two Cape Derbies should be a thriller, as will the Capitals v Sunrisers on Tuesday. The second Cape Derby follows on Wednesday followed by the Highveld derby between the Super Kings and Capitals at the Wanderers on Thursday. There is everything to ‘look out’ for…!