Match in a Glimpse:
Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape set a date with history in an attempt to clinch the inaugural SA20 title. Roelof van der Merwe and Adam Rossington starred with the bat and ball respectively as Sunrisers emerged victorious after a 4-wicket win.
Pretoria Start Steady:
Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape had all to play for at Wanderers. After the scheduled match was washed out due to rain, the finalists met on the reserve day to battle it out for the ultimate prize.
Aiden Markram called it right at the toss and we were put to bat first. Captain Wayne Parnell returned to our side replacing Senuran Muthusamy while SEC remained unchanged.
Our openers Phil Salt and Kusal Mendis gave us a quick start. However, both of them were dismissed in successive deliveries by Ottniel Baartman and Roelof van der Merwe.
Player of the Match from the semi-finals Rilee Rossouw continued his explosive form from our match against Paarl Royals. Smashing four boundaries in five deliveries off van der Merwe, Rossouw kept the scorecard ticking along with Theunis de Bruyn. Unfortunately, neither of them could convert their solid starts and we were down to 76/4 in 10 overs.
Sunrisers’ Bowlers Shine Bright:
Despite our best efforts, we could not find our footing. Colin Ingram and Jimmy Neesham tried to get us back on track before they were dismissed by Aiden Markram and Ottniel Baartman respectively.
The wickets kept tumbling for us in the slog overs with van der Merwe finishing his spell with four wickets. We were bowled out for 135 in 19.3 overs.
An Impactful Start for SEC:
Chasing a low total, Sunrisers Eastern Cape made sure that they got off to a flying start. Continuing with the SA20 tradition, Eathan Bosch got us the first breakthrough by dismissing Temba Bavuma. Jordan Hermann and Adam Rossington continued the onslaught for the Sunrisers, with the latter enjoying the lion’s share of the run making and racing to a 20-ball fifty.
The Hoover spun his web to dismiss Jordan Hermann but Rossington powered the Sunrisers to 103/2 after 10 overs.
The Orange Army Prevails:
Anrich Nortje came into the attack to dismiss Rossington on the first ball after the powerplay. This slowed down the Sunrisers’ chase as we kept bagging wickets at regular intervals, including that of Aiden Markram.
After picking up the wicket of Jordan Cox, Jimmy Neesham left us amazed with another one-handed catch off a Nortje delivery to send Tristan Stubbs back to the pavilion.
Despite our best efforts, we found ourselves at the wrong end of the SA20 final result. Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 4 wickets to be crowned as the inaugural SA20 champions.
Individual Accomplishments for our Pitori Boys:
In a season where we collectively showed the true spirit of Roar Saam More, two of our players stood-out with their consistent performances across the season.
Young, talented and ready to leave his mark, Eathan Bosch was recognised as the Rising Star of the Season.
Additionally, Anrich Nortje finished his campaign as the joint-most wicket-taker in the SA20 league with 20 wickets.
Brief Scores:
Pretoria Capitals - 135 (19.3): Kusal Mendis - 21 (19), Rilee Rossouw - 19 (11), Roelof van der Merwe - 4/31, Ottneil Baartman - 2/22 lost to Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 137/6 (16.2), Adam Rossington - 57 (30), Aiden Markram - 26 (19), Anrich Nortje - 2/21, Adil Rashid - 1/13
Player of the Match: Roelof van der Merwe
