Sunrisers Eastern Cape claim inaugural SA20 title

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape made the winning of the inaugural Betway SA20 final a lot more complicated than it needed to be.

Ultimately, a cover drive for four and lofted straight hit for six by Marco Jansen earned them a four-wicket win against Pretoria Capitals with 22 balls to spare. Sadly, though, the tournament didn’t get the final it deserved.

Still, it was a resounding success for an event that caused some anxiety in the months before it started, with an ODI series for the Proteas being cancelled and worries over how the public would take to a third attempt at establishing a franchise T20 League in this country.

The sold-out, noisy crowd at the Wanderers on Sunday represented what this tournament has been about and showed that the public was indeed on board, embracing it in a way that few among its organisers or Cricket South Africa thought possible.

The decision to move the final back a day, taken early on Saturday because of rain, proved the correct one. The match was played in gorgeous sunshine, amid a flurry of streamers and fireworks, accompanied by colourful smoke and a relentless background of good — and very bad — pop music.

Not that anyone needed their energies lifted — certainly not Roelof van der Merwe, who turned this match decisively in the Sunrisers’ favour with a spell of skilled left-arm slow bowling in which he secured four wickets, each of which were celebrated vein-popping fervour.

It was Ottneil Baartman who made that initial breakthrough, however.

The Capitals had started confidently, with their openers, Phil Salt and Kusal Mendi, taking 16 runs off the first over bowled by Sisanda Magala. There was a first ball four, a catch off what was deemed a no-ball off the second delivery and a stunning on-drive in that first over that suggested a thoroughly entertaining afternoon was in the offing.

It was not to be, however, once Mendis had skied Baartman to Aiden Markram at mid-on. From 33/0 the Capitals lost all their wickets for 102 runs.

Van der Merwe was in the thick of it from the start. He claimed a wicket with the first ball of his second over. Rilee Rossouw struck three consecutive fours off him in the deliveries that followed.

There was another wicket in his third over, a beauty that spun past the outside edge of Theunis de Bruyn’s bat hitting middle and off stumps. And in his final over, after conceding a boundary, he picked up wickets with his last two deliveries.

The Capitals, for the most part, were masters of their own demise. Rossouw, James Neesham and Eathan Bosch gifted their wickets to the Sunrisers and too many players were easily deceived by changes of pace.

The target was inadequate and it would have needed early wickets to create tension. Temba Bavuma gave the Capital his, but Adam Rossington ensured a largely comfortable chase with a stunning assault in the power play.

Taking advantage of far too many short balls he offered five opportunities for the crowd to earn a share of the sponsor’s R2m prize, and knocked the stuffing out of the run chase with a belligerent half-century that came off just 30 balls.

Some late wickets got the crowd excited, but the ever-cool Marco Jansen did what was needed. Cue more fireworks, smoke and bad music. Most importantly, a good time was had by all.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.