PC vs SEC: At the SA20 Finals, a rivalry continues as Pretoria Capitals meet Sunrisers-Eastern Cape once again as opponents in an old rivalry that started in the inaugural season of the tournament. While Sun Risers seek to win a record-breaking third SA20 trophy, Pretoria Capitals, rebuilt, aim to claim their first title.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Masters of the Big Stage
Sunrisers Eastern Cape has featured in every SA20 final, in each of the last four tournaments, and has lifted titles in each of the last three events out of a possible four, giving them a historical advantage going into this final match.
With a strong South African foundation, coupled with smart acquisitions from outside, the Sunrisers appear to have a winning formula. Under the astute leadership of coach Adi Birrell, the likes of Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje have thrived. While de Kock tops the run chart, Nortje, who finds himself second in the wicket-taker chart, has a real sniff at the top spot as well.
Pretoria Capitals: Rebuilt and Resurgent
Pretoria Capitals have had a very different run to their SA20 final campaign. After Pretoria Capitals were runners-up in season one, followed by two seasons of not making the playoffs, they made significant changes to their side in season four.
Keshav Maharaj’s appointment as captain has proved to be an inspired choice. He has led from the front to top the list of top wickets taken by Capitals with an exceptional economy rate of 6.62. He has unlocked the true capability of an array of talented batsmen, including Caribbean superstars Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, both of whom have finished in the top five of the tournament’s top run-getters.
Balanced Squads, Even Contest
On paper, Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape seem to be closely matched. Sunrisers were way ahead in the league phase matches, but Pretoria Capitals fought back in Qualifier 1 to earn a place in the title clash. While a home advantage eludes each side, a full house at Newlands in Cape Town will surely provide a backdrop for this match of the stars.
Players in Focus: Dewald Brevis vs Tristan Stubbs
Dewald Brevis (Pretoria Capitals)
Since becoming the most valuable recruit in the history of the SA20 competition, however, the new most pricey recruit in the competition history has struggled with a sluggish start to the competition before exploding at the right moments. Specifically, the explosive innings by the recruit in Qualifier 1, where the recruit smashed 75 in 38 balls, showed maturity in handling the quick balls pitched by the adversary.
Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
Sunrisers skipper Tristan Stubbs is naturally motivated not just professionally but also personally, as he has been recalled into the T20 WC team for South Africa and is looking to rediscover his mojo and win his team another title.
PC vs SEC: Team News and Probable XIs
Pretoria Capitals (likely XI)
Shai Hope (wk), Bryce Parsons, Connor Esterhuizen, Dewald Brevis, Sherfane Rutherford, Jordon Cox, Roston Chase, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Lizaad Williams, Lungi Ngidi, Gideon Peters
Sunrisers Eastern Cape (likely XI)
Quinton de Kock (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Jordan Hermann, Matthew Breetzke, James Coles, Tristan Stubbs (capt), Marco Jansen, Chris Green, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla
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Both Brevis and Ngidi are expected to be fully fit despite minor injury concerns during the qualifiers.
Pitch and Conditions at Newlands
As for the venues involved, Newlands has provided inconsistent conditions this season. To begin with, some high-scoring games have been played on this venue thus far, while more recent matches have been affected by the wicket and windy conditions as well.
Nevertheless, Cape Town has had the highest run rate throughout the SA20 matches played thus far and is likely to present good batting conditions for the final as well.
Stats and Key Numbers Ahead of the SA20 Final
- Sunrisers and capitals boast the best Win/Loss Ratio at Newlands
- The highest number of runs by a Sunrisers batter in a single SA20 season belongs to Quinton de Kock
- Sherfane Rutherford, who tops the run chart, with a strike rate of 165.96
- De Kock is still 20 runs short of reaching 12,000 runs in T20 cricket.
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