‘In your head’ was the song that Tristan Stubbs and his winning Sunrisers Eastern Cape side were humming in the team bus after lifting their third title in just four seasons of the SA20. Perhaps rightfully so as they most definitely got in the head of the losing finalists Pretoria Capitals as the chargers in blue looked all set to conquer their maiden hurrah when they had the team from Gqeberha struggling at 48 for 4 in the ninth over before South Africa’s best ODI player currently in Mathew Breetzke and captain Stubbs put on a 114 run stand to take their side home.
This after the world witnessed the coming of age of a young South Africa star-in-the-works Dewald Brevis who matured almost overnight to become a vital cog in the Pretoria batting lineup from just being a dasher when he made his maiden SA20 hundred in mounting a respectable 158 as the overall total after his team was all but out of the contest at 1 for 2.
Well coming back to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s spectacular performance, the feat undoubtedly was worth every praise, especially if you are one with the ‘Orange Army’ which was also the dominant colour on Sunday in franchise cricket across the globe, as one more team in orange also ended on the right side of another tournament in the southern hemisphere in the Big Bash League with the Perth Scorchers mounting to the numero uno position.
Certainly, a day, where orange was the colour of energy and yes victory too, if one were to reckon! Speaking about energy, the SA20 ably led by its commissioner and Protea great, Graeme Smith mounted new heights in its fourth season with better turnouts that saw full stadiums for almost 85 percent of the games, more viewership on television and also a loud fan cry to add more teams to further the sheen of this tournament across the length and breadth of the Mzansi with Royal Challengers Bloemfontein and Nelspruit Knight Riders.
Perhaps a consideration for the future with more investment from the IPL owners.
Well, this we would know in time but speaking about the word time, two Proteas players had the time of their life in this edition of the SA20 in Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje and here is why:
The Protea keeper tops the run scoring charts of this year’s SA20. Since deciding to represent South Africa again, Quinton’s approach has noticeably evolved. He has been more forthcoming in sharing advice and mentoring his teammates, and that growing senior presence has been mirrored in his own game, which has lifted to another level altogether.
The results are for everyone to see as de Kock has topped the run scoring charts in this year’s edition with 390 runs to his name at an average of 39 and an astounding strike rate of 149 with four fifties. His vital opening bursts with the bat have been crucial for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to mount the ultimate glory and perhaps could hold the Proteas also in good stead as they look to the elusive prize of conquering the upcoming T20 World Cup having fallen short to India in the last edition.
Anrich Nortje rediscovers his bowling confidence
The express pace bowler perhaps has been the unluckiest bowler post the last edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024, which saw him soar to great heights being the joint second highest wicket taker along with India’s Jasprit Bumrah mounting 15 cherries to his name.
Since then time has been very unkind on this lethal quick as the only thing that’s shone on him in abundance is a spate of injuries putting him out of every major tournament including representing the Proteas.
He almost contemplated retirement at this stage albeit time does change for every individual, and it certainly has for Nortje as this year’s SA20. This edition has seen Anrich return to his best bowling form with taking 18 wickets from just 12 games at an average of a wicket every 16 balls putting him second on the wicket taking charts after Ottneil Baartman.
This change of form has given him another chance for the Proteas also, after being selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup and would undoubtedly hope to recreate the magic as he did in the last edition.
South African youngsters on the horizon
The SA20 has also seen a host of youngsters carve their niche with two standouts in batter Jordan Hermann who has been crucial for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the middle order to give them respectable totals every time mounting 199 runs to his name at an impressive strike rate of 139. The other youngster who has also really impressed is Pretoria Capitals quick bowler Gideon Peters with nine cherries to his name coming to bowl first change after Lungi Nigidi and Lizaard Williams.
This lad from Pretoria really knows how to bowl the heavy ball and could perhaps be one to look forward to in the Green and Gold of South Africa especially in seaming conditions. With another season of the SA20 proving a resounding success and Sunrisers Eastern Cape building a dynasty reminiscent of Australia’s ruthless World Cup three-peat of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the tournament’s future feels brighter than ever.
Beyond silverware and spectacle, SA20 has also strengthened Cricket South Africa’s financial footing and, more importantly, reignited a deep-rooted love for the game among the Mzansi faithful.
One would only hope it continues to soar in the time to come.
