MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals shine while defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape keep their championship hopes alive.
Betway SA20 exploded in Week 2 of Season 3 with the Western Cape teams MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals leading the way, while the Sunrisers Eastern Cape resurrected their championship title defence.
After a record-breaking opening week that saw viewership numbers increase by a remarkable 129% and a 79% increase in attendance, there was plenty to look forward to.
MI Cape Town certainly delivered with a superb performance before their home fans at another sold-out Newlands as Rashid Khan’s team claimed the honours in the “El Clasico” derby on Saturday.
With Table Mountain as a stunning backdrop on a glorious sunlit Cape Town early evening, Newlands was postcard perfect as it confirmed its status as one the premier venues in world cricket.
Despite being on the wrong side of the result, Joburg Super Kings’ England international Jonny Bairstow soaked up the atmosphere.
“It was always a special place for me coming back to Cape Town and Newlands. I absolutely love it here,” Bairstow said.
“It’s a special crowd. It was full. They witnessed a good game. Fair play to the Cape Town side. They outplayed us.”
Western Cape neighbours Paarl Royals have also been in good form with their dynamic opening partnership of Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Joe Root leading the way.
Youth and experience are combining excellently at the top of the Royals order with the 18-year-old Pretorius topping the run-scoring charts with 205 runs at an average of 51.50 and Root following closely in second place on 195 at the amazing average of 97.50.
Their individual performances powered the Royals to victories in the Cape derby and over the Pretoria Capitals in a thrilling run chase at Centurion.
Royals captain David Miller heaped praise on former England captain Root for the impact he’s had in such a short period of time.
“You can’t take class away from someone. He (Joe Root) is one the best players, in my opinion, ever,” Miller said.
“And with that type of class he can adapt to so many different situations. He steadies the ship really well. We just love the way he is playing.”
After three defeats to start off their Season 3 campaign in Week 1, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape desperately needed to get their engine going if they were to remain in contention.
It is at such crunch times that senior players take the responsibility and Season 2 leading wicket-taker Marco Jansen has certainly stepped up over the last couple of matches to revive the defending champions’ Season 3 campaign.
Jansen is already one of the front runners for the Season 3 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award with runs and wickets aplenty.
The lanky left-arm seamer was particularly good at a vibrant St George’s Park on Sunday where he had “the ball on a string” to spearhead the Sunrisers’ quest for a second consecutive victory over Durban’s Super Giants.
Sunrisers captain Aiden Markram praised his entire bowling unit for the team’s turnaround.
“Our bowlers have been really good throughout the competition. They have been unbelievable,” Markram said.
“They got the ball in the right areas. Held their lengths really well. Execution is everything. And then they start getting it right. They are really tough to face.”
The entertainment off the field during Week 2 was also special once again with Premier Soccer League giants Kaizer Chiefs sampling a taste of Betway SA20 action at the Wanderers along with Springbok 7s legend and Laureus Sport ambassador Cecil Afrika in attendance at St George’s Park.
The Joburg Super Kings, Pretoria Capitals and Durban’s Super Giants will now look to bounce back in Week 3 as the race for the playoffs gets underway.
Cob@Lt
The African Leopards are a pan-African representative team that aims to promote rugby throughout the continent.
RZRWRE
Women had been playing cricket as far back as the 1700s. Villages in Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire held their own local and inter-village tournaments. Prizes for the games included lace gloves and barrels of ale.