CAN SUNRISERS’ WINNING TOUCH RUB OFF ON WARRIORS?

The Warriors squad for the CSA T20 Challenge has a distinctly Sunrisers Eastern Cape feel to it, and so they will hope that the Orange Army’s winning touch rubs off on them too.

The Gqeberha-based team, coached by Robin Peterson (MI Cape Town) and assisted by Baakier Abrahams (Sunrisers Eastern Cape) have named a large 23-man squad for the domestic competition, including five from the back-to-back Betway SA20 champions.

The biggest name, in all aspects, is Marco Jansen who was the star man of the SA20 Final thanks to his 5/30 – a return which helped him also finish as the League’s highest wicket taker with 20. Tristan Stubbs lived up to his billing in Season 2 of South Africa’s premier T20 cricket league, and will also be eager to maintain his big-hitting form with the bat before the pair head off to the Indian Premier League (IPL) near the end of the month.

That will leave top order batter Jordan Hermann as well as allrounders Patrick Kruger and Beyers Swanepoel to keep the Sunrisers ‘flame’ burning through the rest of the competition. Each showed their unique skillset during SA20.

Hermann was a steadying presence with the bat, not least in scoring an unbeaten century against MI Cape Town at Newlands. Kruger had his moments with the bat and ball as well as in the field where he snaffled nine catches – the second most in the League. Swanepoel’s passion, meanwhile, was evident throughout whether he was a starter or on the bench and started the 2023-24 domestic season like a house on fire.

Meanwhile, the Warriors will be lead through the CSA T20 Challenge by Matthew Breetzke, who had a dream campaign with runners-up Durban’s Super Giants scoring 416 runs (the third most in SA20) while tearaway quick Nealan van Heerden got his first taste of the League under Peterson’s tutelage of MI Cape Town this year.

Van Heerden will undoubtedly be looking to pick the brain of Anrich Nortje. The Proteas speedster has missed the last six months with a back injury, including the SA20 for Pretoria Capitals. He will use the first few weeks of the domestic competition to find his rhythm before also heading off to the IPL.

The Warriors begin their CSA T20 Challenge by hosting the Tuskers from KwaZulu-Natal Inland at St George’s Park.

FULL WARRIORS SQUAD FOR THE CSA T20 CHALLENGE

Ziyaad Abrahams, Liam Alder, Matthew Breetzke (captain – Durban’s Super Giants), Jordan Hermann (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), JP King, Patrick Kruger (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Renaldo Meyer, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Andile Mogakane, Alfred Mothoa, Anrich Nortje (Pretoria Capitals), Jiveshan Pillay, Siya Plaatjie, Sinethemba Qeshile, Diego Rosier, Rudi Second, Siya Simetu, Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Beyers Swanepoel (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), George Van Heerden, Nealan Van Heerden (MI Cape Town), Sean Whitehead.