TRIVIA TUESDAY: BIGGEST AUCTION BUYS

In this week’s Trivia Tuesday, we look at the most expensive buys made during player auctions in Betway SA20 history.

With only two player auctions to date, the numbers are skewed towards the inaugural event in September 2022, but, tellingly, the highest earners have all made a significant impact on their team’s success.

1. TRISTAN STUBBS

Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R9.2-million | Season 1 Auction

Tristan Stubbs remains not only Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s record buy but also SA20’s, with the competitive bidding for his services in 2022 having eventually ended when Sunrisers Eastern Cape committed R9.2-million of their budget to have the talented batter-cum-wicketkeeper-cum-occasional offspinner in their inaugural squad.

Across the two seasons to date ‘Stubbo’ has been great value for his price tag contributing with bat, ‘keeper gloves and gees to the Orange Army’s charge to back-to-back titles.

2. RILEE ROSSOUW

Pretoria Capitals | R6.9-million | Season 1 Auction

Pretoria Capitals spared no expense in luring big-hitting left-handed batter (and his bazooka celebration) Rilee Rossouw to their camp.

Rossouw, who spends his entire year on the global T20 circuit, can turn the tide in any match with his powerful strokeplay and that has been in evidence on a few occasions in the last two years – though not as decisively as wanted as the sky blues came up short in the 2023 Final and then consistently enough in Season 2, when they missed the playoffs.

3. MARCO JANSEN

Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R6.1-million | Season 1 Auction

A lanky left-arm pace-bowler come gangly right-hand stroke-maker, Marco Jansen was still only a ‘talent’ when Sunrisers Eastern Cape made him their second-highest earner in 2022 but he has sure rewarded their belief.

In the Season 1Final, ‘Lange’ smashed the winning runs before again being the decisive factor in the Season 2 Final when he claimed the final wicket as part of an incredible 5-30 bowling spell which also confirmed him as the campaign’s highest wicket-taker and worthy winner of the Rising Star of the Season award.

4. WAYNE PARNELL

Pretoria Capitals | R5.6-million | Season 1 Auction

All teams need good leadership, firstly, and variation in their attack and Pretoria Capitals decided R5.6-million was the right amount of money to spend on Wayne Parnell to get those qualities.

Despite missing a few matches in both campaigns; when on the park, Parny has shown that he still retains a remarkable ability to take wickets (his 24 are the third-most in the League's history), contribute lower-order runs and maintain a composed and calm disposition whether things are going well (like they did in Season 1) or not so well (like in Season 2).

5. DONOVAN FERREIRA

Joburg Super Kings | R5.5-million | Season 1 Auction

Joburg Super Kings turned heads when forking out all of R5.5-million on Donovan Ferreira but their’s was no ‘whim’ purchase.

Much like Sunrisers’ Stubbs, Ferreira can bat, bowl, field and keep wicket and has done it all in yellow, earning himself a cult following at the Wanderers and suitors all around the globe. ‘The Don’ will be expected to continue his maturity when Season 3 comes around as JSK once again try to match the trophy-winning success of their sister teams in other franchise leagues.