The third edition of South Africa’s premier T20 competition, the Betway SA20, came to a fitting conclusion in front of a bouncing sold out DP World Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday night.
The best team in this year’s tournament, MI Cape Town, were deservedly crowned champions after they dismantled double defending champs Sunrisers Eastern Cape, to lift the title for the first time.
It was a remarkable turnaround from MI CT, who despite boasting one of the best teams on paper over all three editions so far, finished bottom of the table in the first two seasons, before finally proving their mettle in season three.
For the Sunrisers they have finally been dethroned, after edging into the playoffs and stunning all by triumphing in season one, storming to the title in season two with a dominant showing, and reaching the season three final despite an incredibly inconsistent pool phase.
Here are some of the highlights of the competition, and various award winners over a very entertaining SA20 season three:
The SA20 Final
The final was not the thrilling affair that most neutrals will have wanted, but was a demolition job that will have delighted MI CT fans. The team from Cape Town showed they meant business in the pool phase by picking up five bonus point wins out of seven. They then thumped the Paarl Royals in the first qualifier and crushed the Sunrisers by 76 runs in the final.
In the match it was an all-round batting effort from MI CT, with none of their batters kicking on to a big score, but almost all of them contributing. Connor Esterhuizen top scored with 39 off 26 balls, Dewald Brevis walloped an 18-ball 38 and Ryan Rickelton crunched 33 off 15 balls, while Rassie van der Dussen (23), George Linde (20) and Delano Potgieter (13no) all chipped in to get them to 181/8.
A fantastic bowling and fielding effort then followed, led by New Zealand star Trent Boult picking up an incredible 2/9 off his four overs, while Kagiso Rabada, 4/25, cleaned up the tail, and Rashid Khan, 1/19, and Linde, 2/20, throttled the Sunrisers in the middle overs, as they crashed to a paltry 105 all out.
The best game of the SA20
The best game of the competition was arguably Durban’s Super Giants amazing two-run win over the Pretoria Capitals in Durban, in just the second match of the tournament. It was a game dominated largely by the batsmen, but won by the host team's bowlers in a breathtaking finish.
Batting first DSG reached a daunting 209/4, led by New Zealand star Kane Williamson, 60no off 40 balls, with Bryce Parsons, 47 off 28, Wiaan Mulder, 45 off 19, and Matthew Breetzke, 33 off 20, all contributing, while Senuran Muthusamy, 3/21, was the only bowler not to get punished.
The Capitals were then charging towards an easy win thanks to openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 89 off 43 balls, and Will Jacks, 64 off 35. They needed 55 to win off 48 balls with 10 wickets in hand, and then 42 off 42 balls with nine wickets in the bank. But they somehow contrived to still lose the match over the final seven overs.
The 14th over went for one, 15th for eight, 16th and 17th for six each, the 18th went for four, the 19th for three, and Naveen-ul-Haq defended 14 off the last over to secure a come from behind win for the ages. Noor Ahmad, 2/34, Keshav Maharaj, 1/39, and Chris Woakes, 2/42, bowled superbly during that run down the back straight, as the Capitals finished short on 207/6.
SA20 Player and Bowler of the Season - Sunrisers Marco Jansen
After being named the Rising Star in season two, Marco Jansen went even better in season three, picking up the Player of the Season gong, as well as the Bowler of the Season award. He was brilliant with the ball, picking up 19 wickets, five ahead of a chasing pack of players on 14, at an average of 18.42 and a best bowling performance of 4/13 against the Pretoria Capitals.
Despite being a bowling allrounder he also impressed on the batting front, scoring 204 runs in 12 innings at an average of 22.66 and strike rate of 125.15, hitting one half century. His two best efforts with the bat were 51 off 35 balls in a losing cause against the Capitals, and an unbeaten 36 off 26 in a win over Durban’s Super Giants.
“For me it’s been easy. Dale (Steyn) taught me last season and gave me good advice. He said don’t bowl like a poephol and that’s all I try to do,” said a laughing Jansen after receiving the award.
“I feel all our bowlers, whenever they got the chance, impacted the game in a positive way. Whether it was spin or pace, I think we adapted well. It didn’t always go our way, but we always managed to find a way to get the team over the line.
“I just try to learn from the top order batters to be totally honest. They help me a lot, especially in the nets. Aiden (Markram), (Tristan) Stubbs, those types of guys, they are always willing to help me in terms of technique or where to score off what deliveries.
“To have those guys in the camp has been really helpful and that has really helped me to perform out there on the pitch.
“I always just try to do what I can to get the team into a winning position. I think sometimes I am more on the lucky side which you definitely need in this format. But I just try to do my best every time I walk on the pitch.”
SA20 Rising Star - MI CT’s Dewald Brevis
Hopefully the prodigiously talented Dewald Brevis can build on a superb tournament and start to reach the potential that has been expected of the young 21-year-old since he burst onto the international scene in the 2022 U19 Cricket World Cup.
There he earned the moniker of ‘Baby AB’ in reference to Proteas legend AB de Villiers, but despite a few eye-catching performances since then, he has been unable to live up to that hype.
However, over the current local season he has been putting in much more consistent performances and that has built up to him enjoying a brilliant SA20 campaign for MI CT, earning him a deserved Rising Star award.
He finished the competition sixth on the batting rankings, scoring 291 runs at an average of 48.50 and with an incredible strike rate of 184.17, hitting two half centuries with a highest score of 73no.
He also took a few wickets with the ball and was brilliant in the field, taking a number of stunning catches and effecting a few superb run outs, for a brilliant all-round showing.
“I have been working really hard in the quiet times when no one really knows about it. There are a few things that I’ve changed. I am all for hard work and putting in the graft, and that’s what I did,” said a stoked Brevis during the awards ceremony.
“Last year was a bit of a rollercoaster. But it’s nice to start this year nicely and contribute for MI Cape Town to help them get the win.
“I love it (contributing in all three departments). Whenever I put my foot over the rope I literally just want to do whatever I can for the team. So it was just lovely to be out there.
“Whether it was fielding and just trying to follow the ball, or trying to create something with the ball (when bowling). Whatever I could do to contribute to the team.”
SA20 Batter of the Season - Paarl Royals Lhuan-dre Pretorius
It was a stunning debut SA20 for young Lhuan-dre Pretorius and much is going to be expected of the 18-year-old budding talent going forward. He was unable to play in last year’s edition due to playing for the SA U19 team in the U19 Cricket World Cup, but made the most of his chance this time around.
Pretorius finished as the top run scorer with 397 runs in 12 innings at an average of 33.08 and a destructive strike rate of 166.80. He scored the highest score of season three, 97 off 51 balls in a thumping nine wicket win over the Sunrisers, and was incredibly lucky to have enjoyed the experience of batting at the top of the order with a current legend of the game in England’s Joe Root.
A number of other batters impressed over the season, with five batters in total breaking the 300-run mark, as Rassie van der Dussen (393) came closest to Pretorius, while Aiden Markram (340), Ryan Rickelton (336) and Rubin Hermann (333) were the others. Root would likely have also broken the 300-run mark if he didn’t have to leave early for England duty, scoring 279 in eight innings at an average of 55.80.
“It was an amazing experience. I am just glad that I could score some runs and contribute to the team. I was very nervous and under a lot of pressure to perform,” said a chuffed looking Pretorius.
“I think so (when asked if he was an attacking batter). I used to be a very defensive player but that changed in about grade 10. I think that’s who I am now (attacking player) and I am going to try stick with it. I have had backing from all the coaches so that was good.
“I learnt quite a bit from Rooty (Joe Root) and everyone, playing with a couple of the big players. So it was just amazing, I learnt a lot and it will definitely stick with me for a very long time.”
Comment of the final - Kagiso Rabada
Proteas pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who has a busy international season ahead of him that includes the ICC Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, will head into those events off the back of SA20 success with MI CT.
He was interviewed by Proteas legend AB de Villiers, after producing the goods in the final, picking up 4/25 in 3.4 overs to help his side to a thumping win, and he was full of smiles as he reflected on a thoroughly entertaining SA20.
“I think I was extra focused today because it was a final. We knew the Sunrisers are a good team, they have made three finals in a row and on their day they can beat anyone. So it was a big game for us, especially because we finished last the past two seasons,” said Rabada.
“So I just really wanted to make sure. We scored 180 and I honestly thought that was just above par, if not par on this ground. But everyone just chipped in.
“We started well, Boulty (Trent Boult) bowled amazingly well. Rash (Rashid Khan) controlled it in the middle with George (Linde) and then the wickets came to us. But I think Rash and George did the hard yards in that middle phase for us to get that win.
“I love playing in South Africa, it is my favourite place to play in the world, and I guess this league means a lot. Especially to the younger players coming through.
“And the fans have been amazing. Today they were loving it and they are just loving the entertainment, and all the players are giving them that entertainment.
“All the games are thrilling and you’ve seen some magnificent performances. So I am really proud as a South African that this is happening here.”