Champions MI Cape Town dominate the Betway SA20 Team of Season 3 with five players selected in a hotly contested lineup.
Opening batter and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton leads the charge upfront along with rising batter Dewald Brevis, allrounder George Linde and seam bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult.
Rickelton struck 336 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 178.82 to pass 1000 runs in the competition, becoming the leading run-scorer in Betway SA20 history. He also claimed nine dismissals behind the stumps.
Rising Star Brevis came of age in Season 3, scoring 291 runs at an average of 48.5 and strike-rate of 184. The 21-year-old was equally adept against pace and spin, striking at 211 against the seamers and 149 against a list of highly impressive slow bowlers.
Linde, meanwhile, was hugely impactful with the bat for MI Cape Town, averaging 40.24 and striking at 153.33. The left-arm spinner also bagged 11 wickets at 17.72 at an economy rate of 6.29.
MI Cape Town’s world-class new bowling pair of Rabada and Boult were miserly throughout the competition - boasting economy rates of 6.53 and 6.94 respectively - but kept their best performance for the Final against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Rabada claimed 4-25 to lift his competition tally to 12 wickets, while Boult’s Player of the Final effort of 2-9 raised him to 11.
SUNRISERS AND ROYALS WITH THREE EACH
Sunrisers and Paarl Royals have equal representation of three players each to complete the XI with Joburg Super Kings allrounder Donovan Ferreira named the 12th man.
Royals’ opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who was awarded the Batter of the Season as the leading run-scorer with 397 runs, joins Rickelton at the top of the order. The 18-year-old struck three half-centuries, which included 47 boundaries and 16 sixes.
Former England captain Joe Root missed the playoffs due to international duty but still compiled 279 runs at an average of 55.80 and strike-rate of 140.20 to slot in at No 3. He also took five wickets.
Root will be joined by fellow Royal David Miller in the middle-order. The left-hander bashed 234 runs at an average of 58.50 and a strike rate of 136.84.
Sunrisers captain Aiden Markram has been elected skipper of the Team of Season 3 for his exceptional leadership abilities that saw his team reach their third successive Betway SA20 Final. Markram also struck three half-centuries to push his run tally up 340 - the third-highest in the competition.
The Sunrisers' contingent is headlined by the Betway Player of the Season Marco Jansen, who also claimed the Bowler of the Season award for his 19 wickets at 18.42, and he is joined by new-ball partner Englishman Richard Gleeson to complete the XI.
The adjudication panel was composed of SuperSport commentators and select members of the media.
BETWAY SA20 TEAM OF SEASON 3
1. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Paarl Royals)
2. Ryan Rickelton (WK) (MI Cape Town)
3. Joe Root (Paarl Royals)
4. Aiden Markram (C) (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
5. Dewald Brevis (MI Cape Town)
6. David Miller (Paarl Royals)
7. Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
8. George Linde (MI Cape Town)
9. Kagiso Rabada (MI Cape Town)
10. Richard Gleeson (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
11. Trent Boult (MI Cape Town)
© SA20