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HOW THEY REACHED THE FINAL: SUNRISERS EASTERN CAPE
A year on from scraping into the knockout stages, Sunrisers Eastern Cape have played like the defending champions they are to top the log at the end of Betway SA20 group stage and then reach the Season 2 Final at the first opportunity.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FINAL AT NEWLANDS
Adrian Birrell’s squad had an unfortunate when the Season 2 opener against Joburg Super Kings was rained out at St George’s Park with the Orange Army in full voice. Then they lost to Durban’s Super Giants – thanks to an inspired performance from ex-player Jon-Jon Smuts on his return to St George’s Park.
A composed win over MI Cape Town at Newlands, where Jordan Hermann scored a classy century, got Sunrisers campaign going. That was followed by Simon Harmer (who traded places with Smuts this season) returning the favour to DSG in their fourth match, at Kingsmead, before a win over Pretoria Capitals made it three-on-the-bounce.
The Capitals got their own back at Centurion, but the result proved to only be a blip, as Aiden Markram and his teammates closed the group stage with four wins in a row to seal their place in Qualifier 1 at Newlands, and the prestigious top-of-the-table position.
On Tuesday, Sunrisers in-form seamers, Ottniel Baartman and Marco Jansen, powered them to their second consecutive SA20 final after a convincing 51-run victory over DSG in the Qualifier 1 at Newlands. Now, a rematch awaits...
STAR BATTER: TOM ABELL
Jordan Hermann scored the most group stage runs (232) for Sunrisers and Tristan Stubbs finished one run worse off but with an average of 57.75, strike rate of 168.61 and team-high 12 sixes. However, Tom Abell has been the highest-performing Sunrisers batter according to CricViz’s MVP ‘algorithm’. He goes into the Final sitting sixth on the overall batters leaderboard with 99.47 rankings points.
Abell played just a single match in 2023, but has shown the full array of his talent this campaign. The 29-year-old Englishman has slotted into the crucial number 3 position, scored 50s against Durban’s Super Giants and MI Cape Town at home and guided the Orange Army to victories over Pretoria Capitals and Joburg Super Kings with not outs to show he can play at whatever tempo needed and what match situation Sunrisers face.
STAR BOWLER - OTTNIEL BAARTMAN
Aiden Markram has had a wealth of bowling options at his disposal this season, from Marco Jansen, Daniel Worrall and Ottniel Baartman in the pace department to experienced spinners Simon Harmer and Liam Dawson. They’ve all impressed, but it’s Ottniel Baartman who finds himself top of the League’s Bowler of the Season leaderboard – on 105.39 rankings points.
The Oudtshoorn-born seamer's figures for the campaign are truly impressive; his 16 wickets have come at an average of 12.18, a stingy economy rate of 7.09 and strike rate of 10.31.
Baartman is proficient at the death as he showed when he closed out a high-pressure game against MI Cape Town at Newlands with a string of yorkers in the final over against Sam Curran.
But he is also devastating when the new ball is swinging and seaming about as both the Pretoria Capitals (4-12) and Saturday's Final opponents, DSG, in Qualifier when he produced a Player of the Match spell of just 4-10.
FORM GUIDE
NR vs Joburg Super Kings (H)
L vs Durban’s Super Giants (H) - WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | READ THE MATCH REPORT
W vs MI Cape Town (A)
W vs Durban’s Super Giants (A) - WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | READ THE MATCH REPORT
W vs Pretoria Capitals (H)
L vs Pretoria Capitals (A)
W vs MI Cape Town (H)
W vs Joburg Super Kings (A)
W vs Paarl Royals (A)
W vs Paarl Royals (H)
W vs Durban's Super Giants (N - Qualifier 1) - WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | READ THE MATCH REPORT
Jordan Hermann has scored the most runs for Sunrisers this season and the team's only century, away at MI Cape Town.
MOST RUNS
253 - Jordan Hermann
HIGHEST SCORE
106* - Jordan Hermann (vs MI Cape Town, A)
MOST WICKETS
16 - Ottniel Baartman
BEST BOWLING
4-10 - Ottniel Baartman (vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape, N - Qualifier 1)
MOST 4S
29 - Tom Abell
MOST 6S
12 - Tristan Stubbs
Back row (left to right): Caleb Seleka, Adam Rosssington, Beyers Swanepoel, Patrick Kruger, Andile Simelane, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Daniel Worrall, Liam Dawson, Jordan Hermann. Front row (left to right): Farid Malik, Sarel Erwee, Dawid Malan, Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Simon Harmer, Tom Abell, Ottniel Baartman, Aya Gqamane.
SQUAD (matches played)
Aiden Markram (captain – 10 matches), Tom Abell (8), Ottniel Baartman (7), Temba Bavuma (1), Liam Dawson (10), Sarel Erwee (0), Aya Gqamane (0), Simon Harmer (10), Jordan Hermann (10), Marco Jansen (9), Patrick Kruger (9), Dawid Malan (9), Farid Malik (0), Adam Rossington (2), Caleb Seleka (0), Andile Simelane (0), Tristan Stubbs (10), Beyers Swanepoel (5), Daniel Worrall (10).
