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Capitals sneak home by one wicket to put MICT on brink of elimination

Pretoria Capitals 160 for 9 (Rossouw 40, Mendis 39, Curran 3-26) beat MI Cape Town 159 all out (van der Dussen 51, Neesham 2-26) by one wicket

MI Cape Town were all but eliminated from play-off contention in the SA20 after a nail-biting clash against Pretoria Capitals in Centurion. Capitals sneaked home by one wicket on the final ball, chasing a target of 160.

After winning the toss, Pretoria Capitals opted to field first, but found themselves under pressure thanks to a blistering start by MICT, spearheaded by a 29-ball 51 by Rassie van der Dussen. Cameos by Wesley Marshall and Dewald Brevis ensured MICT maintained a healthy run rate, but Capitals’ bowlers brought their side back in.

Wayne Parnell was especially economical before injury forced him off (he was required to hop through for the winning runs at the end). But nearly every bowler chipped in with wickets, with Eathan Bosch, Anrich Nortje and James Neesham taking two wickets apiece. MICT lost their last seven wickets for 52 runs, and were bowled out with two balls to spare for 159.

Kusal Mendis got Capitals off to a flyer of their own, bringing up the 50 inside five overs. But Sam Curran, who has struggled so far in the competition, removed both openers inside five balls before Rashid Khan dismissed Theunis de Bruyn to stymie Capitals’ progress. An entertaining knock by Rilee Rossouw – 40 off 19 – put Parnell’s side well ahead on the rate with plenty of wickets left in the tank.

But there was a huge stumble to follow. Capitals lost three wickets for one run in four balls to suddenly find themselves reduced to 114 for 6, and facing the realistic possibility of being bowled out. Senuran Muthuswamy appeared to be guiding his side home safely, but with three runs to get, he holed out to backward point, leaving Capitals nine wickets down.

It came down to the final ball. Curran missed his yorker as No. 11 Josh Little squirted it through the off side to scurry back for a couple and put MI Cape Town on the brink.

03 Feb 2023, 7:02 pm

Super Giants' qualification hopes hit by washout

Sunrisers Eastern Cape 53 for 3 (Rossington 35* vs Durban's Super Giants - Match abandoned

Rain was the only winner at Kingsmead as the SA20 suffered a second washout on Friday, the game between Durban's Super Giants and Sunrisers Eastern Cape abandoned after just 5.2 overs of play. The no-result dealt a blow to DSG's hopes of reaching the knockout stages, with a poor net run rate and only one fixture - against table-topping Pretoria Capitals - remaining.

Play was able to begin on time in Durban, despite heavy rain during the day, but it wasn't long before the clouds opened again. Sunrisers were 30 for 0 at the time, with Adam Rossington having scored all 30 runs and Reece Topley taking both wickets - Temba Bavuma caught behind for a duck on his SA20 debut and Jordan Hermann departing next ball.

The delay left Topley waiting on a hat-trick, but Aiden Markram safely saw off the delivery once play resumed. He fell in the following over, pulling Wiaan Mulder to midwicket, and the rain swept in again before the powerplay could be completed leaving both teams to share the points.

03 Feb 2023, 3:32 pm

Paarl Royals, Joburg Super Kings split points after washout

Paarl Royals 131 for 4 (Roy 61, Buttler 23, Ferriera 1-5) vs Joburg Super Kings - Match abandoned

Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings split the points between them after rain had the final say in Johannesburg. Only 15 overs were possible, with Royals, having been sent in to bat, scoring 131 in that time. Super Kings had won the toss and elected to field, before Jos Buttler and Jason Roy wreaked havoc in the powerplay, their 53-run stand taking just 3.3 overs.

And even when Gerald Coetzee removed Buttler, Roy continued his attack, scoring 61 off 42 before Romario Shepherd got him to hole out. But the game, which had first been briefly interrupted by showers after nine overs, only saw six more overs of play, which was stopped by heavier rain, only to not resume again. That eventually resulted in the first washout of the SA20 this season, with Royals second and Super Kings third in the points table.

02 Feb 2023, 7:43 pm

Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke keep Super Giants' campaign alive

Durban’s Super Giants 169 for 5 (de Kock 63, Breetzke 48*, Rabada 3-22) beat MI Cape Town 165 for 5 (van der Dussen 43, David 33, Pretorius 2-38) by five wickets

A disciplined bowling performance, and a masterclass from Quinton de Kock helped Durban’s Super Giants beat MI Cape Town by five wickets and breathe life into their campaign. In a clash between the sides in the bottom two of the SA20, it was sixth-placed Super Giants who eked out a final-over win.

de Kock, who sat out Wednesday's third ODI against England with a finger injury, was back, though he left keeping duties to Heinrich Klaasen. Reece Topley and David Willey kept MI on a leash through the powerplay and well beyond, removing both openers early, and picking up regular wickets to hobble the batting side.

After a floodlight failure caused a brief delay, MI began to regroup. A 55-run stand between Rassie van der Dussen and Tim David dragged their side back into the game, but when both fell within eight balls and ten runs, Super Giants were firmly back on top.

Dwaine Pretorius was both economical and deadly, proving difficult to get away. It remained that way until the 20th over, when Pretorius missed his lengths and ended up going for 24, allowing MI to surge to 165 and giving them hope of mounting a defence.

In the chase, Super Giants lost Ben McDermott early, but de Kock made the most of the powerplay. A 65-run second-wicket partnership with Matthew Breetzke put his side on target. By this time, de Kock had sped along to 63 off 41 before David removed him as he attempted a reverse sweep. It provided MI renewed hope, only for a Keemo Paul cameo of 31 from 18 balls to put Super Giants in the driving seat again.

MI kept coming back in it, though, taking it to a tense final over in which Super Giants required six runs. However, despite Duan Jansen’s best efforts, Super Giants managed to sneak home to keep MI on their toes. The win was sealed by a huge six by Matthew Breetzke,sparking wild celebrations in the ground.

02 Feb 2023, 12:14 pm

Aaron Phangiso's bowling action found illegal following lab test

Aaron Phangiso has been replaced by left-arm orthodox spinner Kyle Simmonds in the Joburg Super Kings squad for the rest of the SA20. Phangiso's bowling action was found illegal after he underwent an ICC-accredited bowling action test on January 27 in Pretoria. He will remain suspended from bowling in the SA20.

Super Kings had earlier requested to have Phangiso’s action tested under laboratory conditions at an ICC-accredited centre after an independent panel of the SA20 had found his action to be illegal.

The 39-year-old will undergo remedial work on his bowling action and an independent panel will then determine the process regarding the re-testing.

Phangiso picked up ten wickets in six matches - including two four-wicket hauls - for Super Kings at the SA20. His last game for them came against Sunrisers Eastern Cape on January 21, where was the Player of the Match for his figures of 4 for 20.

This is the second time that Phangiso has been reported for an illegal bowling action. He was first reported in 2016 but was cleared after undergoing remedial work. Phangiso has played 21 ODIs and 16 T20Is for South Africa. He last turned out for the country in 2018.

01 Feb 2023, 2:01 pm

Wade replaces Joseph, Super Giants rope in McDermott, Willey

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade has been named as a replacement for pacer Alzarri Joseph in the Joburg Super Kings’ squad for the remainder of SA20. Joseph has left the franchise to join the West Indies’ squad for the two-match Test tour of Zimbabwe, starting February 4.

Wade has played 218 T20s and has scored 4269 runs at a strike rate of 136.21. He was also part of the IPL title-winning franchise, Gujarat Titans, last year.

Durban's Super Giants have roped in another Australian in Ben McDermott, alongside England allrounder David Willey for their remaining matches. McDermott has featured in 131 T20s, including 23 for Australia, and has amassed 3255 runs, striking at 133.95 and he has come in place of West Indies' Kyle Mayers. Willey, who has 241 T20 wickets in as many matches, has replaced allrounder Jason Holder.

“We have seen quality cricket lighting up the first half of the Betway SA20,” Graeme Smith, League Commissioner, said. "It’s great to have more world-class players adding value to the competition. We are going into the thrilling business end with very little separating the teams on the log, we are in for an exciting finish.”

Meanwhile, the table-toppers Pretoria Capitals have roped in former South African international Colin Ingram to replace Harry Brook. Brook was called up to the England Test squad currently on duty in New Zealand. Ingram, with 7740 runs in 319 T20s at a strike rate of 137.3, is a vastly experienced batter. Though he didn't find runs in the ILT20 in the UAE, scoring just 23 runs in four matches, Ingram is expected to find his mojo back in familiar conditions in South Africa.

30 Jan 2023, 5:02 pm

MI Cape Town bring in David and Brookes to replace Livingstone and Stone

MI Cape Town have roped in Tim David as a replacement for the injured Liam Livingstone for the rest of the SA20. They have also brought in fast bowler Henry Brookes for the 2023 season in place of Olly Stone.

Livingstone had suffered a knee injury in the first Test against Pakistan in December last year and has not played any part in the ongoing SA20. His replacement, David, is part of the Mumbai Indians side in the IPL.

David has played 152 games in the format and has scored 3261 runs at a strike rate of 162.88. He had, in September last year, made his debut for Australia in T20Is, having earlier played 14 matches for Singapore.

Brookes, 23, has played 37 T20 games and has picked up 46 wickets with best bowling figures of 5 for 25. He turned out for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred last year.

Cape Town have won just three of their seven games so far. They are currently fifth in the points table. The SA20 is on an eight-day break as England take on South Africa in a three-game ODI series. The tournament will resume on February 2.

25 Jan 2023, 11:08 am

Faf du Plessis scores first hundred of SA20 to help win Super clash

Joburg Super Kings 182 for 2 (du Plessis 113*, Hendricks 45) beat Durban's Super Giants 178 for 6 (Klaasen 65, Holder 28*, Coetzee 3-21) by eight wickets

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A sensational century from Faf du Plessis saw Joburg Super Kings claim a much-needed eight-wicket win over Durban's Super Giants. In a clash between the two sides at the bottom of the table, Super Kings timed their chase to perfection to move out of fifth, and further entrench Super Giants at rock bottom.

Super Kings won the toss and opted to field first, but Super Giants’ fast start put them on the back foot. Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock ensured they took advantage of the powerplay before three quick strikes brought Super Kings back into it. Maheesh Theekshana and Gerald Coetzee split all of Super Giants' wickets among them, and were also among their most economical bowlers.

After that triple-strike had reduced them to 46 for 3, Heinrich Klaasen got Super Giants back on track and set them up for a big finish. He was complemented by Jason Holder, whose unbeaten 12-ball 28 ensured Super Giants stormed to 178, and carried the momentum with them to the break.

Super Giants also started magnificently with the ball. The first three overs, bowled by Mayers, Keshav Maharaj and Reece Topley, conceded just eight runs. While du Plessis began to lay a platform, Hendricks continued to struggle. By the end of the 13th over, Super Kings had managed 97, with the asking rate approaching 12.

But from thereon du Plessis found a purple patch. The next three overs produced 55 runs, with du Plessis completing a 54-ball hundred. Even Hendricks found the fence on a few occasions, and by the time the asking rate was a run a ball. Super Giants struck twice to take the game into the final over, but by then, Super Kings had control, and in the end, yet another creamy drive over cover for six from du Plessis sealed the win.

24 Jan 2023, 3:01 pm

Buttler and Miller win it for Royals against Sunrisers

Paarl Royals 131 for 5 (Buttler 51, Miller 37*, van der Merwe 2-11) beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape 130 for 7 (Smuts 65, Phehlukwayo 2-26, Evans 2-27) by five wickets
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Two sixes off David Miller's bat. That's all it took to douse the tension of this low-scoring thriller and put Paarl Royals on course for victory.

For large parts on Tuesday, it appeared they were cruising, not least because Jos Buttler had given them the perfect start to a chase of 131. The T20 World Cup winner contributed 51 of their first 80 runs, including four fours and two sixes, and yet there was remained the feeling that Sunrisers Eastern Cape might just be able to mount a fightback if they picked up a wicket. It was that kind of pitch. Slow and tough to score on.

Roelof van der Merwe (4-0-11-2) provided that wicket when he bowled Buttler in the 13th over. Then came the squeeze. Just 10 singles and a wicket between the 15th and the 17th overs.

Suddenly Royals were 101 for 5, looking at an asking rate of 10. Miller took strike, and calm as you like, swatted three sixes in four balls to end this slow burn of a contest and secure his team's place at No. 3 on the points table.

Sunrisers had won the toss earlier in the day but they couldn't make enough of the advantage. JJ Smuts was their lone bright spot, the No. 3 batter was responsible for half of the runs they put on the board and a whopping nine of their 14 boundaries. Smuts finished with 65 off 49 balls, but his team-mates floundered around him. Sunrisers' next best score was a mere 18. The Royals' bowlers were able to dictate proceedings from start to finish, each of the five men they used picking up at least a wicket. Evan Jones was the pick of them with figures of 4-1-27-1.

24 Jan 2023, 3:54 am

Capitals consolidate top spot with bonus point win over MI Cape Town

Pretoria Capitals 182 for 8 (Jacks 62, Archer 3-37) beat MI Cape Town 130 all out (Brevis 46, Parnell 3-14) by 52 runs

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Pretoria Capitals opened up a six-point gap at the top of the table with a bonus-point win over MI Cape Town, in their last home game at Newlands. There was some joy for the hosts though, as captain Rashid Khan became the second player to reach 500 T20 wickets after Dwayne Bravo, and led a stirring comeback in the field after Pretoria Capitals threatened to post a 200-plus score. They didn’t get there but still had more than enough.

Kusal Mendis and Will Jacks got their side off to a spectacular start with the highest powerplay score of the tournament so far. They hit six sixes and eight fours between them in the first six overs to race to 84 without loss. Jacks brought up his third fifty of the tournament in the process but when he was dismissed, six balls after Mendis became Rashid’s first victim, Capitals barely recovered.

After scoring at 14 runs an over in the powerplay, Capitals’ scoring rate halved for the remainder of their innings. In the next 14 overs, they managed 98 for 8 with only one other partnership over 30. Jofra Archer warmed up for the ODIs against South Africa with 3 for 37 but Kagiso Rabada conceded 49 runs in his four overs and went wicketless.

In the other camp, Anrich Nortje, Adil Rashid and Wayne Parnell were among the wickets and claimed key batters in MI Cape Town’s chase. After Ryan Rickelton was removed in the third over, Rashid bowled Sam Curran with a delivery that spun back into him to claim one over his countryman. With Brevis at the crease, MI Cape Town were still in it but Nortje had a cunning plan to remove him. He delivered a slower ball that Brevis sent straight to extra cover to crack the game open. Nortje went on to take two more wickets in four balls in his final over and Parnell finished with the most economical return of 3 for 14, including the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen.

23 Jan 2023, 6:42 am

Rossington blitz, van der Merwe six-for annihilate Super Giants

Sunrisers Eastern Cape 210 for 2 (Rossington 72, Hermann 59) beat Durban's Super Giants 86 (Mulder 29, van der Merwe 6-20) by 124 runs

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Half-centuries from Adam Rossington and Jordan Hermann, followed by career-best figures of 6 for 20 from Roelof van der Merwe helped Sunrisers Eastern Cape crush Durban's Super Giants by 120 runs in Gqeberha.

Sunrisers, put in to bat, got off to a great start, as Rossington and Hermann put up a 101-run partnership in just 8.2 overs, before Rossington was dismissed. Hermann would ensure that the team's momentum kept going, as he and Aiden Markram (44*) then added 68 runs for the second wicket. Rossington ended with a 30-ball 72, with 10 four and four sixes, while Hermann made 59 off 44 balls. Tristan Stubbs then slammed 27 off 13 balls to lift Sunrisers to 210. Super Giants used seven different bowlers, and with the exception of Akila Dananjaya, all of them went at more than nine an over.

Super Giants failed to put together any meaningful stand in their chase, as van der Merwe struck blows at regular intervals to keep them at bay. Wiaan Mulder was the team's top-scorer with 29, and in total just three batters managed double-digit scores. Super Giants were eventually bowled out for 86 in 14.4 overs, their big defeat keeping them rooted to the bottom of the table with just eight points. Sunrisers, meanwhile, moved to second, with 17 points from seven matches.

22 Jan 2023, 3:24 pm

Buttler and Miller help Royals beat Capitals

Paarl Royals 162 for 4 (Buttler 37, Miller 28, Jacks 2-7) beat Pretoria Capitals 158 for 6 (de Bruyn 53, Adams 2-38) by six wickets

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Paarl Royals stayed in the hunt for a semi-final spot after beating the SA20 leaders Pretoria Capitals by six wickets at their last home game. The Royals moved into joint-second place and completed their highest successful chase of the tournament on a surface that did not support free-flowing run-scoring but made for interesting cricket in the five matches played at Boland Park.

Against a Capitals attack more suited to the pace and bounce of the Highveld, Royals paced their innings well. Chasing 159 to win, Jason Roy and Wihan Lubbe put on the Royals’ highest opening stand so far - 48 - before Jos Buttler and Dane Vilas shared a third-wicket partnership of 65 to put the team in a dominant position. Buttler’s 37 put him at the top of the SA20 run-scorers’ list and anchored Royals’ chase. But he did not see it through to the end after becoming the second of Will Jacks’ victims in his sole over and left it to David Miller and Mitchell van Buuren to finish off.

The Royals needed 33 off the last four overs, 20 off the last two and 10 off the final over, which was bowled by Anrich Nortje. Miller hit successive fours and van Buuren finished the match with two balls to spare.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin continued his good form with the new ball and trapped Jacks lbw in the first over. Kusal Mendis, playing in his first match of the tournament, and Theunis de Bruyn put on 52 runs for the second wicket to start Capitals’ recovery. De Bruyn went on to his first half-century of the SA20 but apart from a 44-run fifth-wicket stand with Jimmy Neesham, did not have any other significant partners. Lungi Ngidi, with 1 for 19 in four overs, was the pick of the Royals bowlers.

22 Jan 2023, 10:14 am

Du Plooy, Phangiso, Coetzee shine in thrilling win for Joburg Super Kings

Joburg Super Kings 128 for 5 (du Plooy 47, du Plessis 37, van der Merwe 2-16) beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape 127 (Rossington 40, Phangiso 4-20, Coetzee 4-20) by five wickets

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Joburg Super Kings overcame another batting stumble and an excellent final over bowled by Sisanda Magala to bring an end to Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s three-match winning run in a low-scoring thriller.

Birthday boy Aaron Phangiso, who is currently being investigated for suspect bowling action, and Gerald Coetzee led an excellent bowling display after they won the toss, before knocks from Leus du Plooy (47 off 40) and their captain Faf du Plessis (37 off 38) helped them chase 128 with just two deliveries to spare.

Adam Rossington (40 off 31) started well for Eastern Cape, but Jordan Hermann chipped an easy catch to mid-off off Coetzee’s first ball to start their slide in the third over. Two deliveries later, some excellent work by du Plessis in the field led to Sarel Erwee being run out.

Rossington then took charge as his partnership with Aiden Markram helped steady Eastern Cape till the end of the powerplay.

Markram fell right after the powerplay to Romario Shepherd but then it was all Phangiso, as he saw the backs of Rossington, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and JJ Smuts to finish with figures of 4 for 20.

Coetzee returned to clean up the tail as Joburg skittled their opposition for 127. The fast bowler finished with figures of 4 for 24.

Joburg’s chase got off to a tricky start, with Reeza Hendricks holing out to deep backward point in the third over, but du Plessis stayed steady and put on a 45-run stand with Neil Brand, who made his first appearance in the tournament.

Brand was cleaned up by Roelof van der Merwe, but du Plessis kept going, with du Plooy for company.

But Eastern Cape came back through quick wickets of du Plessis and Sibonelo Makhanya and Donovan Ferreira was castled by van der Merwe soon after.

Easter Cape applied the squeeze and Joburg had to take the game deep, and a tight penultimate over form van der Merwe left them with eight needed off the last over.

Magala bowled three back-to-back yorkers and a full toss as he gave away just three runs from the first four balls. But du Plooy hit a boundary off the next delivery, which upon checking was also called a no-ball for overstepping as Joburg registered a 5-wicket win.

21 Jan 2023, 3:22 pm

Van der Dussen and Linde lead MI Cape Town to another win over Paarl Royals

MI Cape Town 142 for 9 (Van der Dussen 49, Roelofsen 34, Fortuin 2-22, Shamsi 2-27, Ngidi 2-29, Adams 2-31) beat Paarl Royals 129 for 6 (Buttler 68, Linde 2-23, Rabada 2-27)13 runs

Scorecard

In a reversal of the tournament opener, where Paarl Royals set MI Cape Town a target of 143, they were asked to chase the same number of runs this time. But the result was the same. MI Cape Town beat them again and have moved into second place on the points table.

On a sluggish surface with significant turn on offer, both teams struggled to get going and suffered early losses. Asked to bat, MI Cape Town were 32 for 3 in the powerplay and 62 for 3 after ten overs; when chasing, Royals were 27 for 3 in the powerplay and 52 for 4 after ten.

The difference was in middle-order partnerships and the finishing. A 63-run stand between Grant Roelofsen and Rassie van der Dussen outshone the 59 Jos Buttler and David Miller put on and while van der Dussen built steadily and took MI Cape Town into the last over, Buttler was dismissed in the 19th over, with Royals still 22 runs from victory.

Royals left with some pride. Bjorn Fortuin, their left-arm spinner, became the tournament’s leading wicket-taker for the time being and removed MI Cape Town openers either side of Sam Curran’s needless run-out before the Roelofsen-van der Dussen stand. George Linde scored 24 off 14 balls but was bowled by a Tabraiz Shamsi googly, which triggered a collapse. MI Cape Town lost four wickets for 21 runs in 17 balls before van der Dussen finished strongly.

In response, Royals lost Jason Roy and Wihan Lubbe in successive balls to Linde and then found themselves 30 for 4. Buttler and Miller steadied the chase but Kagiso Rabada had Miller caught at long-on, which left Buttler to take it deep. His dismissal all but ended their fight.

20 Jan 2023, 6:18 pm

Muthusamy, Jacks star as Capitals crush Super Giants

Pretoria Capitals 84 for 2 (Jacks 56) beat Durban’s Super Giants 80 (Klaasen 31, Muthusamy 3-12, Bosch 2-10, Parnell 2-12, Nortje 2-15) by eight wickets

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Durban’s Super Giants were humbled in front of their home crowd by table-toppers Pretoria Capitals, who cruised to an eight-wicket win on Friday. Capitals bowled the Super Giants out for only 80, after which Will Jacks made quick work of the small chase. Capitals finished the game with 12.6 overs to spare, collecting five points in the process.

While Jacks’ half-century (56 in 25 balls) ensured the game ended quickly, it was the Capitals’ bowlers who set the win up.

In the powerplay, Wayne Parnell removed openers Kyle Mayers and Wiaan Mulder, and Anrich Nortje dismissed Quinton de Kock, leaving Super Giants at 20 for 3. Then spinners Senuran Muthusamy and Adil Rashid took four wickets between them for just 22 runs. Muthusamy, in particular, impressed with three middle-order wickets that broke Super Giants’ hope of any recovery. Eathan Bosch and Nortje put the finishing touches to end Super Giants’ innings in 18.1 overs.

Capitals’ chase began poorly, with Mayers taking a first-ball wicket of Phil Salt. However, that was the only time the home fans could really celebrate, with Jacks taking over after the early jolt. He hit five fours and four sixes. That helped Capitals reach 70 for 1 inside the powerplay, and the chase ended in 7.4 overs with Theunis de Bruyn unbeaten on 21.

Super Giants’ score of 80 was the lowest of the SA20 so far, while Mayers entered the record books as the first man to be out first ball of an innings and to pick up a wicket first ball of an innings in the same game.

20 Jan 2023, 3:02 am

All-round Markram downs Paarl Royals

Sunrisers Eastern Cape 131 for 5 (Hermann 43, Markram 23, Fortuin 3-20) beat Paarl Royals 127 for 7 (Lubbe 28, Markram 2-21, van der Merwe 2-21) by five wickets

Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Aiden Markram led with both bat and ball as well to help his side to a five-win over Paarl Royals in Paarl.

Put in to bat, Royals lost their openers early. Sisanda Magala removed Jos Buttler on the last ball of the second over. Three balls later Markram castled Jos Buttler to make it 18 for 2. Corbin Bosch and Wihan Lubbe added 40 in 31 balls to stabilise the innings but wickets fell at regular intervals after that. Seven Royals batters reached the double digits but none could convert it into a big score; Lubbe was the top scorer with 28. Markram, Roelof van der Merwe and Brydon Carse finished with two wickets apiece.

Adam Rossington and Jordan Hermann gave Eastern Cape a quick start of 35 in 3.4 overs before Lungi Ngidi picked up two wickets in two balls. But with the required rate not being an issue, Hermann (43 off 39) and Markram (23 off 23) could afford to take their time. They added 57 in 50 balls before Bjorn Fortuin triggered a mini-collapse by dismissing Markram, Hermann and Jordan Cox in the same over.

By then, however, Eastern Cape needed only 35 off 43 balls with five wickets in hand. Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen dealt in ones and twos for the next four overs, which also included a maiden by Fortuin. With 17 required off 16 balls, Stubbs hit Evan Jones for a six to calm the nerves in the Eastern Cape camp. In the next over, Jansen wrapped it up with a four and six.

19 Jan 2023, 3:21 am

Neesham stars with 3 for 7 as Capitals storm to win

Pretoria Capitals 123 for 4 (Salt 52, Jacks 34) beat Joburg Super Kings 122 (du Plessis 51, Neesham 3-7, Nortje 3-12) by six wickets

Anrich Nortje and James Neesham shared six wickets between them to help bowl out Joburg Super Kings for 122 and set up a six-wicket victory for Pretoria Capitals in Centurion.

Super Kings, put in to bat, were jolted early, as their opener Reeza Hendricks was dismissed by Eathan Bosch off the very first delivery of the game. Super Kings' captain Faf du Plessis led a recovery by stroking a 22-ball 51 with nine fours and two sixes. At 70 for 2 in six overs, the team seemed well set, but Neesham and Nortje wrecked Super Kings' momentum. Super Kings collapsed to lose their next five wickets for just eight runs, following Neesham's double-strike in the seventh over. A 10-ball 19 from Aaron Phangiso at No.10 dragged Super Kings to 122, a total well below par.

Neesham finished with figures of 3-0-7-3, while Nortje ended with 3 for 12 from his four overs.

Capitals had little trouble in their chase, as a 46-run opening stand between Phil Salt and Will Jacks put them on course for the win. Two quick wickets threatened to set Capitals back, but Salt remained unbeaten on 52 off 32 balls to guide the team to the target with seven overs remaining.

That meant Capitals also secured a bonus point, which put them on the top of the SA20 table after four matches.

18 Jan 2023, 3:24 pm

Jansen takes down Rashid in Sunrisers Eastern Cape's stunning win

Sunrisers Eastern Cape 172 for 8 (Jansen 66, Rabada 3-34) beat MI Cape Town 171 for 6 (Roelofson 56, Rickelton 46, van der Merwe 2-21, Baartman 2-21) by two wickets

Marco Jansen hammered a 27-ball 66, his first T20 half-century, to guide Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a dramatic two-wicket victory over MI Cape Town with three balls to spare. Sunrisers had seemed well adrift on 101 for 6 in the 15th over, only for Jansen to unleash his long levers during a stand of 53 off 24 balls for the eighth wicket, during which Brydon Carse scored five.

Although Carse fell to Kagiso Rabada in the 19th over, back-to-back sixes from Jansen brought the target within reach. Rabada then bowled Jansen with 4 needed from seven balls, before Roelof van der Merwe and Sisanda Magala saw their side over the line. Victory put Sunrisers level with the five other SA20 teams on two wins apiece.

The heroics of Sunrisers’ No. 7 meant they recovered from a poor start, in which none of the top order managed more than Tristan Stubbs’ 28. Jofra Archer produced figures of 1 for 18 in his four overs, as well as running out JJ Smuts, and the visitors were in trouble after slipping to 40 for 3 inside the powerplay and 57 for 4 with the dismissal of Aiden Markram in the ninth.

Sunrisers’ hopes had been reignited when Jansen launched four sixes off Rashid Khan, the MI captain, as the 16th over went for 28. It was the second-most expensive over the Afghanistan legspinner had ever delivered in T20, and completed a tough analysis of 1 for 53 for Rashid, after Stubbs had struck three sixes in an over earlier in the innings.

MI Cape Town were grateful to a late flurry from Odean Smith and Delano Potgieter, which included Sisanda Magala’s final over going for 23. The hosts were given a strong platform by Grant Roelofsen and Ryan Rickelton, who put on a stand of 102, but lost 5 for 14 against the combined efforts of Ottniel Baartman, van der Merwe, and Markram.

18 Jan 2023, 3:26 am

Joburg Super Kings hold nerve to hand Pretoria Capitals their first loss of the season

Joburg Super Kings 168 for 6 (du Plooy 75*, Hendricks 45, Bosch 3-12) beat Pretoria Capitals 162 (Salt 29, Phangiso 4-32) by six runs

An unbeaten 75 from Leus du Plooy, followed by a four-wicket haul from Aaron Phangiso helped Joburg Super Kings to a six-run victory against Pretoria Capitals in Johannesburg.

Super Kings, put in to bat, made a steady but sedate start courtesy a 45-run opening stand between Reeza Hendricks and the captain Faf du Plessis. Anrich Nortje removed du Plessis for a 16-ball 27, but du Plooy would ensure no momentum was lost, as he and Hendricks kept the scoreboard ticking with a 73-run partnership. While Hendricks failed to get a fifty, falling for a 50-ball 45, du Plooy motored along to 75 off 40 deliveries, stroking seven fours and five sixes.

While no other batter managed double-digit scores, du Plooy plundered 20 runs off Wayne Parnell in the 19th over to lift the team to 168 for 6.

Capitals made a rapid start to their chase, racing to 30 in three overs, but Alzarri Joseph struck off consecutive deliveries to remove Will Jacks and Rilee Rossouw. Capitals' middle-order batters all chipped in with small, but handy knocks to keep the chase interesting, but Phangiso (4 for 32) struck blows at regular intervals, eventually reducing them to 116 for 6.

A six from Adil Rashid off the final delivery of the penultimate over brought the equation down to 10 needed off six. Romario Shepherd, however, bowled a tight last over, conceding just three runs and finishing the game off with the wickets of Rashid and Nortje.

17 Jan 2023, 3:31 pm

Lubbe and Jones propel Royals to joint first position

Evan Jones defended 11 runs off the last two balls and 19 off the last over against Durban’s Super Giants as Paarl Royals moved into joint first-position on the SA20 points table. Jones, playing in his 17th T20 match and second at a league tournament, finished with 4 for 32 and is now the tournament’s highest wicket-taker.

Super Giants recovered from an early collapse - they were 29 for 3 in the fifth over thanks Bjorn Fortuin’s triple strike in the Powerplay - and were fairly well set on 109 for 5 in the 15th over when Jones struck. He had Christiaan Jonker caught at deep square leg, ended Keshav Maharaj’s cameo when Maharaj swung him to cow corner, and then had Hardus Viljoen stunningly caught by David Miller, running from long-off to pin DSG back.

Heinrich Klaasen, who scored his second successive fifty in the tournament, anchored the chase in 38-degree heat and threatened to pull the rug out from under the Royals. But no one stayed with him for long enough and against an attack well-suited to their slower home conditions, they were unable to score as fluently as they might have liked. Their highest partnerships were 31 runs between Klaasen and Jason Holder and Klaasen and Jonker.

In contrast, the Royals were propelled by two significant stands. Jos Buttler and Wihan Lubbe put on 53 off 35 runs for the second wicket before Lubbe and Miller shared a fourth-wicket stand of 42 runs in 27 balls. Lubbe scored his 10th T20 fifty, off 33 balls.

16 Jan 2023, 8:40 pm

Markram leads from front as Sunrisers claim first win

Sunrisers Eastern Cape 162 for 6 (Markram 50, Smith 3-23) beat MI Cape Town 158 for 8 (Linde 63*, Baartman 3-45) by four wickets

An all-round effort from Aiden Markram, backed up by supporting roles from Sarel Erwee and Tristan Stubbs, gave Sunrisers Eastern Cape their first points of the season as they beat MI Cape Town by four wickets in a game that went down to the last over.

George Linde struck a T20 career-best 28-ball 63 not out to take Cape Town to 158 for 8. In reply, Markram hit 50 off 35 balls, adding 92 runs for the third wicket with Erwee. Stubbs then played a composed 18-ball 30 before James Fuller’s successive fours took Sunrisers over the line with three balls to spare.

Sent into bat, the Cape Town batters were in all sorts of strife early on, managing only 36 runs in the powerplay and losing Ryan Rickelton and Grant Roelofsen. Dewald Brevis had a couple of slices of luck and struggled throughout his 28-ball 15 before falling to Markram. The Sunrisers captain then struck again, sending back Sam Curran with Cape Town struggling on 52 for 4 after 9.4 overs.

However, Rassie van der Dussen and Linde got them back into the game, adding 59 off 33 balls. Linde continued to attack even as he lost partners at regular intervals reaching his half-century off 24 balls. He struck a four and a six in the final over, but Ottniel Baartman closed out well, finishing with 3 for 45.

Curran then struck off the first ball of the chase to remove Adam Rossington. He then had JJ Smuts lbw in his next over as Sunrisers were reduced to 9 for 2. But Markram found his bearings immediately. A flourishing cover drive off Kagiso Rabada got him going, and while Erwee struggled early, he too got the important boundaries away. Sunrisers did lose their way in the middle, with Odean Smith striking twice in an over, but Stubbs and Marco Jansen got them close. Stubbs did fall in the last over but had done enough on the day.

The win saw Sunrisers move to fifth position in the table, while MI continue to hold top spot despite the loss.

16 Jan 2023, 5:35 pm

Makhanya replaces Brook for Joburg Super Kings

Middle order batter Sibonelo Makhanya has been signed up by Joburg Super Kings as a replacement for Harry Brook in the SA20. Makhanya led Titans to the CSA T20 Challenge title last year.

Makhanya scored 119 runs in six innings in the competition at a strike-rate of 119. Overall in T20s, he has 818 runs in 74 outings at a strike rate of 114.08. He also has six wickets at an economy rate in excess of 8.50.

Brook had a base price of R850,000 for the SA20 auction. There was a fierce bidding between Super Kings and Paarl Royals and eventually Super Kings pocketed him at R2.1 million.

But ahead of the competition after Brook had been picked in the IPL auction, the ECB communicated to Super Kings their decision to withdraw him citing workload management since he plays all formats for them.

Brook is expected to be part of the England squad that is to play ODIs against South Africa later this month.

16 Jan 2023, 11:29 am

Klaasen, de Kock and Topley power Super Giants win

Durban's Super Giants 216 for 4 (de Kock 57, Klaasen 50*, Ngidi 2-33, Jones 2-33) beat Paarl Royals 189 for 8 (Morgan 64, Vilas 44, Topley 3-34, Pretorius 2-34) by 27 runs

Heinrich Klaasen’s four final-over sixes took him to a 19-ball 50* and piled the scoreboard pressure - which Reece Topley capitalised on, in the penultimate over of the game - to help Durban’s Super Giants register a 27-run win against Paarl Royals.

The platform was set for Klaasen by the top three, who collectively added 138 off 87 balls. Kyle Mayers opened with Wiaan Mulder, offering a left-right combination with Quinton de Kock dropping down to No. 3.

Mayers capitalised on Ferisco Adams’s drop and bashed powerplay boundaries to set up the innings, and his dismissal laid the platform for de Kock. The skipper picked on the short boundary and the favourable match-up against Bjorn Fortuin, making 24 off his 44 boundary runs against him. Mulder foiled both stands as both batters fell in the space of five balls.

It led to a few relatively quiet overs. But Klaasen started the final over with three sixes, and the 26-run over turned out to be the point of difference.

Topley knocked over Jos Buttler early and Dwaine Pretorius induced a collapse of 8 for 3 after the powerplay, leaving Royals needing 154 off 72. Eoin Morgan and and Dane Vilas’ 120-run stand kept the chase alive with fours overs yielding 14 runs or more. But Prenelan Subrayen’s five-run over, Morgan’s run-out, and Topley’s almost-waist-high full toss to get Vilas sealed the game. Super Giants, however, failed to secure a bonus point.

15 Jan 2023, 3:28 am

Rabada, Rashid spark MI Cape Town rout of Super Kings

MI Cape Town 107 for 3 (Brevis 42, Coetzee 2-24) beat Joburg Super Kings 105 for 9 (Rabada 2-12, Rashid 2-18)by seven wickets

Joburg Super Kings collapsed for the second successive match in the Western Cape and set MI Cape Town a modest 106 to secure a big win at home.

Kagiso Rabada, playing in his first match since returning from the Test tour of Australia, bowled with accuracy and aggression and claimed the opening and closing wicket of the JSK innings to finish with figures of 2 for 12. Rabada took out Reeza Hendricks offstump with his fourth ball and had Gerald Coetzee caught behind in his final over. Inbetween that, JSK were outspun. George Linde, Rashid Khan and Waqar Salamkheil took five wickets between them with Rashid’s dismissal of big-hitting Donovan Ferreira, who was bowled by a delivery that angled into him, the highlight.

JSK’s batters did not offer much to write about, with Leus du Plooy’s 21 runs the highest individual score, and only three partnerships worth more than 20 runs. The unbeaten 21 runs Aaron Phangiso and George Garton put up for the final wicket allowed them to breach 100, but only just.

In response, MI Cape Town hurtled to 65 in the ninth over, with Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton putting on a display similar to the opening game. Brevis was again the dominant partner and pounced on anything with width, or made his own, and ended up with double Rickelton’s 21. Neither of them saw the chase through to the end, with both falling to Gerald Coetzee, and it was left to Rassie van der Dussen and Sam Curran to finish off. They were unable to complete the chase in 16 overs, which would have given MI Cape Town a bonus point, but still moved to the top of the points table, though they have played one more match than the other teams.

14 Jan 2023, 3:25 pm

Jacks 92 sets up Capitals win over Sunrisers

Pretoria Capitals 216 for 6 (Jacks 92, de Bruyn 42, Magala 2-28) beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape 179 for 7 (Markram 46, Parnell 2-20) by 37 runs

Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the only team yet to register a win at the SA20 after they lost to Pretoria Capitals for the second time. Playing at a sold-out SuperSport Park, Capitals thrilled their home crowd by posting the highest total of the tournament so far: 216 for 6, which topped their 193 on Thursday and eventually pushed them to the top of the points table as well.

Sunrisers struggled in the chase, despite having the competition’s biggest buy, Tristan Stubbs, who has only scored 35 runs in two innings. He was outshone by Capitals’ Surrey signing, Will Jacks, who scored 92 off 46 balls, and shared in a 111-run third-wicket stand with Theunis de Bruyn to help his team recover from two early losses.

Sisanda Magala had Phil Salt out lbw with his first ball and Rilee Rossouw nicked off to Brydon Carse, but Capitals’ scoring rate was high and they finished the Powerplay on 60 for 2. Magala and Marco Jansen were the only Sunrisers’ bowlers to concede under 10 runs an over and the strength of their attack could come under scrutiny as the competition continues.

In response, Sunrisers needed a strong start but Sarel Erwee drove Wayne Parnell’s second ball to mid-off before Jordan Cox bottom-edged behind the next ball. From 15 for 2, it was up to Aiden Markram to keep his team in it. He put on a 67-run third-wicket partnership with Jon Jon Smuts but the pair were dismissed in successive overs to leave Sunrisers 88 for 4 in the 11th over. Jansen hit a defiant 36 off 20 balls and shared in a 60-run eighth-wicket stand with Carse but it was too late for Sunrisers, who lost by 37 runs.

14 Jan 2023, 3:49 am

Mayers, Klaasen, Mulder help Super Giants thump MI Cape Town

Durban's Super Giants 154 for 5 (Klaasen 36, Mayers 34, Stone 4-28) beat MI Cape Town 152 for 8 (Roelofsen 52, Linde 33) by five wickets

A spell of 4 for 28 from Olly Stone nearly threw the Durban's Super Giants chase off track before three sixes from Keemo Paul took them over the line for their first win of the tournament. Chasing 153 against MI Cape Town, Super Giants were cruising at 118 for 2 in the 13th over before Stone removed the trio of Heinrich Klaasen (36), Wiaan Mulder (30) and Dwaine Pretorius in the space of seven balls. Super Giants were still ahead - needing 21 off 30 - and Paul hammered sixes off Jofra Archer and Stone to take them home.

Kyle Mayers started the game in dramatic fashion after Super Giants opted to bowl, when he uprooted Dewald Brevis' stumps for a duck with searing inswinging yorker in the first over. No. 3 Grant Roelofsen steered Cape Town with 52 off 44 as wickets continued to fall with Reece Topley, Hardus Viljoen and Prenelan Subrayen picking up two each. Delano Potgieter's 25 off 11 with three late sixes later lifted them from 105 for 6 to 152 for 8.

Super Giants were hardly bothered in the first half of their chase as Mayers, Mulder and Klaasen scored at a good clip. Stone removed de Kock early and returned later with his triple-strike but it wasn't enough. Archer and Rashid Khan went wicketless with combined figures of 0 for 64 from six overs.

13 Jan 2023, 2:59 pm

Paarl Royals cruise to victory after skittling Joburg Super Kings for 81

Paarl Royals 82 for 3 (Buttler 29*) beat Joburg Super Kings 81 (Fortuin 3-16, Jones 3-21) by seven wickets

In their first match at their home ground, Boland Park, Paarl Royals stormed to a bonus-point win over the Joburg Super Kings, who they dismissed for the lowest score in the competition so far: 81.

On a slow surface, left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and medium-pacer Evan Jones shared six wickets between them and Lungi Ngidi, playing for the first time since South Africa’s Test series defeat in Australia, only conceded 13 runs in his four overs. Fortuin removed Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks in his second over before Ngidi had Faf du Plessis caught at deep third to put JSK in early trouble. Fortuin deepened the damage when he bowled Lewis Gregory to leave JSK on 16 for 4.

They recovered from 27 for 4 to post 190 for 6 in their opening game on Wednesday but they were unable to repeat that effort. Donovan Ferreira failed to connect when he swung at Jones and Kyle Verreynne missed a reverse sweep to be dismissed lbw off Tabraiz Shamsi, who only bowled one over and left the field with cramp. JSK slipped to 36 for 7 and then 55 for 9 before Aaron Phangiso and Lizaad Williams put on 26 runs for the 10th wicket - the highest partnership of their innings - and were bowled out inside 18 overs.

Against a line-up that includes Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, David Miller and Eoin Morgan, JSK's score was unlikely to be enough but they had some joy when Roy hit George Garton to deep third. Wihan Lubbe scored a 13-ball 19 before slashing Romario Shepherd to point and Dane Vilas holed out off Aaron Phangiso. It was up to Buttler and Miller to finish things off, and they did in quickfire fashion. Buttler was unbeaten on 29 and Miller, who reached 9,000 T20 career runs, contributed 8. Royals won with 57 balls to spare.

13 Jan 2023, 3:35 am

Salt, Nortje blow Sunrisers Eastern Cape away

Pretoria Capitals 193 for 6 (Salt 77, Neesham 37, Markram 2-17) beat Sunrisers Eastern Cape 170 for 5 (Smuts 66, Abell 40, Nortje 2-18) by 23 runs

Phil Salt's unbeaten 47-ball 77 and Anrich Nortje's superb spell of 2 for 18 from four overs helped Pretoria Capitals put up a dominating performance and a 23-run win against Sunrisers East Cape in Gqeberha.

Sunrisers captain Aiden Markram asked Capitals to bat and Marco Jansen removed Will Jacks in the very first over. Sisanda Magala then sent Rilee Rossouw back in the second over, leaving Capitals reeling at 14 for 2. But just when Salt and Theunis de Bruyn had started the repair job, there was a 50-minute break due to bad weather. De Bruyn was dismissed by Ottniel Baartman soon after the resumption but Salt and Senuran Muthusamy rebuilt to take Capitals to 78 for 3 at the end of the ninth over. Markram's double-strike in the 10th over further dented their progress.

But Salt made sure the momentum did not drop and continued to pepper the boundaries regularly, bringing up his fifty off 30 balls. He put up a 77-run stand off 50 balls with James Neesham and a 13-ball 36-run stand with Wayne Parnell. Parnell smashed three sixes off Baartman in the last over to take Capitals' total to 193 for 6.

In reply, Sunrisers got off to a sedate start, losing Sarel Erwee for 1. Nortje came into the attack in the fifth over and finished with a wicket maiden, removing Jordan Cox for 5. Sunrisers could only post 28 for 2 at the end of powerplay and never picked up the pace, except for a brief period when Tristan Stubbs was in the middle. He hit two fours and two sixes in his 11-ball stay before being dismissed by Nortje in the 11th over.

JJ Smuts carried on at the other end, scoring a half-century off 44 balls. He hit four sixes and six fours, and eventually fell to Adil Rashid for 66, with Sunrisers at that point needing 61 off 19 balls. Tom Abell stayed till the end to finish with a 24-ball 40 but Sunrisers eventually fell short.

12 Jan 2023, 4:03 am

De Kock's 78 off 52 not enough for Durban Super Giants

Joburg Super Kings 190 for 6 (Ferreira 82*, Shepherd 40, Subrayen 2-26) beat Durban Super Giants 174 for 5 (de Kock 78, Mayers 39, Joseph 2-30) by 16 runs

Donovan Ferreira, the 24-year-old batter, rescued Joburg Super Kings from a spot of bother and smashed an unbeaten 82 off 40 to lead them to an opening win against Durban Super Giants in Durban.

Super Giants started brilliantly with the ball after being asked to field, reducing Super Kings to 27 for 4 in six overs. Ferreira, at No. 6, along with handy knocks from captain Faf du Plessis (39 off 33) and allrounder Romario Shepherd (40 off 19), powered Super Kings to 190 for 6, which proved to be too much for Super Giants, despite a strong performance from their openers.

Ferreira first put on a 72-run partnership with du Plessis and then an 87-run stand with Shepherd, off just 35 balls, as both Ferreira and Shepherd went for their shots later on. Ferreira struck eight fours and five sixes and Shepherd hit two fours and four sixes to help the team collect 91 runs off the last six overs.

Openers Quinton de Kock (78 off 52) and Kyle Mayers (39 off 29) got Super Giants off to a strong start with a 98-run stand in 11 overs even though that included an economical spell of 4-0-14-0 from offspinner Reeza Hendricks. But once Mayers was stumped off Aaron Phangiso and de Kock offered a return catch to Ferreira, Super Giants couldn’t keep up with the asking rate. Two tight overs from Phangiso and Alzarri Joseph meant the hosts needed 56 from 24, and Joseph’s two strikes in the death made Super Giants fall short by 16 runs.

Super Kings are second on the table with four points, behind MI Cape Town, who also secured a bonus point with a resounding win in their opening match against Paarl Royals.

10 Jan 2023, 8:04 pm

Brevis 70* guides MI chase after Archer fires on comeback

MI Cape Town 143 for 2 (Brevis 70*) beat Paarl Royals 142 for 7 (Buttler 51, Archer 3-27) by eight wickets

Dewald Brevis, touted as the next big thing in South African cricket, announced himself in the opening match of what CSA hopes will be its next big tournament, the SA20. Brevis smashed 70 off 41 balls and shared in a 90-run opening stand with Ryan Rickelton to take MI Cape Town to an easy eight-wicket win over Paarl Royals in the competition’s first match.

Set 143 to win, MI Cape Town were untroubled in the chase and reached the target inside 16 overs to secure a bonus point. Paarl Royals were without their bowling spearhead Lungi Ngidi, who has just returned from South Africa’s Test tour to Australia, and will play the season without the injured Obed McCoy. They may already be wondering where they will get their firepower from.

The same question could be asked of their batting. They were less-than-fluent on a surface that seemed not to allow much free-flowing strokeplay until Brevis and Rickelton got together. Royals stumbled to 56 for 3 in the 10th over before Jos Buttler and David Miller put on 48 for the fourth-wicket. By then, Jofra Archer had already enjoyed a successful comeback with a wicket maiden in his first over in competitive cricket since July 2021. Archer had Wiaan Lubbe caught at mid-on and went on to take two wickets in two balls when he dismissed Miller and Ferisco Adams. He was well supported by Olly Stone, who took out the middle stumps of both Dane Vilas and Buttler to keep Paarl from ever really getting going.

They may have thought themselves 20 runs short at the break but the way MI went about their innings made them look at least 40 runs adrift. Brevis was severe on anything full, struck the ball cleanly and hit five sixes and four fours in his innings, to finish with a strike rate of 170.73. MI Cape Town knocked off the total with 27 balls to spare.

Newlands was bursting with excitement all day, starting with a performance from Master KG. Firdose Moonda took it all in and gives us this peek into what it was like on the opening day of the SA20

10 Jan 2023, 6:34 pm

Brevis and MI CT announce themselves

And that is that!

MI Cape Town win by eight wickets

All too easy for MI Cape Town and DB in the end. They've earned a bonus point in what is the Cape derby and have given their Paarl neighbours plenty to think about, especially their bowling resources. The Paarl bowlers barely threatened but take nothing away from Brevis' sublime hitting. He ends unbeaten on 70 and has set the tournament alight, in its first game. Exactly what South African cricket needed after years of unhappiness and many, many concerns about the quality of their batters.

Thank you to everyone who's joined us for this opening game. It lived up to the billing in most ways, though we would probably would have wanted something a little more competitive in the end. There's still 32 matches to go so we should get that as the tournament rolls out. Looking forward to your company throughout.

10 Jan 2023, 6:17 pm

It's not baby AB, call him DB

He's got the top-score of the tournament so far and he has shown off his full range. After a fairly sedate start, with 7 off his first 12 balls, Dewald Brevis walked across his stumps to dispatch Cody Yusuf over his head for six. He added three more big, big sixes to his tally and brought up 50 off 32 balls and seems set to take MI Cape Town to victory.

10 Jan 2023, 6:07 pm

Paarl Royals gets their first

Ramon Simmonds is the bowler who has taken the first wicket for Paarl Royals in the SA20. He has removed Ryan Rickelton, who is batting with an ankle that will require surgery and is therefore out of contention for national selection - and smashed 42 off 33 balls. MI Cape Town in control and they've sent in Sam Curran to finish it off.

10 Jan 2023, 6:05 pm

What MI Cape Town need to win

60 runs off 60 balls

10 Jan 2023, 5:59 pm

So far, so successful

So I've just come back from doing the rounds and I can tell you that Newlands is having the best time. I don't even know if that's to do with the way Dewald Brevis is batting - he has just smacked a MASSIVE six over long-on - but I think its about how good it feels to be back at the cricket and having some fu. THere's still a quarter of a match to go (and a power cut looming any minute now) but I think we can declare this opening dalliance into the SA20, a success.

10 Jan 2023, 5:39 pm

Rickleton outshines Brevis

A recent graduate into the South African national team, Ryan Rickleton, has got MI Cape Town off to a brisk start in the chase.

All eyes would have been on Dewald Brevis, already dubbed heir apparent to AB de Villiers, but it's the other guy that's done all the heavy lifting so far. Particularly in the third over against Ramon Simmonds

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10 Jan 2023, 5:05 pm

Royals set MI Cape Town 143 to win

It isn't exactly the most free-flowing wicket but Paarl Royals may think they've come a few short here. Jos Butter's 51 was their best, followed by David Miller's 42 and the pair put on 48 for the fourth wicket. But overall, this was Archer and Stone's innings. They took five wickets between them for 58 runs in their 8 overs.

10 Jan 2023, 5:01 pm

Archer's over

It's been Archer's night, all right, with two wickets in two balls to finish with 3 for 27.

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10 Jan 2023, 4:42 pm

And again!

Olly Stone has a way of finding that middle stump. He's taken out Jos Buttler's now!

Buttler has been playing some cute shots and he was shaping up for the lap but was too early on the shot.

10 Jan 2023, 4:34 pm

Royals get 100, Buttler on the brink of 50

Jos Buttler and David Miller have built a strong fourth-wicket stand and brought up the Royals' 100 in the 15th over, with Buttler one away from the tournament's first fifty. It came in the same over, off

10 Jan 2023, 4:15 pm

Stone dead!

Another English bowler, Olly Stone, has struck. With his second ball, he took out Dane Vilas middle-stump to leave Paarl Royals 56 for 3 in the 10th over.

10 Jan 2023, 4:04 pm

The other Jansen

Marco's twin, Duan, has made an immediate impact thanks to a terrible shot from Jason Roy. Jansen delivered a stock-standard length ball, Roy tried to smack into the stands and toe-ended it towards long-on. Jansen thought of going for the catch himself but then left it to Rashid Khan to take a good catch.

10 Jan 2023, 3:57 pm

Buttler serves it in the Powerplay

Paarl Royals will be pretty happy with the way they came back from a slow start and the early loss of Lubbe. Archer's second over cost 13 runs as Buttler ramped him over fine leg and then Jason Roy hit him through square leg for four. And Rashid Khan's opening over cost 10 runs. Buttler has found his groove and scored 26 runs off 20 balls in the Powerplay, with Paarl Royals on 41 for 1.

10 Jan 2023, 3:41 pm

Archer strikes in his first over!

He is indeed back! Jofra started with a back of a length ball that swerved away from the left-handed Wihan Lubbe, then tried to york him with a low full toss and then held the length back again as Lubbe got it high on the bat and sent the ball straight up. It took a good catch and some good judgement from George Linde, who almost ran into his mid-off fielder, Duan Jansen to give Archer the wicket but he has one. The first one of the SA20!

And look who's happy about it:

10 Jan 2023, 3:10 pm

Jofra Archer will play for the first time since July '21

Yes, folks, you've got that right. Jofra Archer is back! He has named in the MI Cape Town starting XI but there's no room for Kagiso Rabada just yet. He's just got off the plane from Australia. Rassie van der Dussen, who was also on that Test tour, is recovered well enough from the jetlag to be named in the XI. Lungi Ngidi isn't in the Paar Royals' team but they've got all three English internationals: Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan.

Paarl Royals: Jos Buttler (wk), Wihan Lubbe, Jason Roy, David Miller (c), Eoin Morgan, Dane Vilas, Ferisco Adams, Bjorn Fortuin, Ramon Simmonds, Codi Yusuf, Tabraiz Shamsi

MI Cape Town XI : Rassie van der Dussen, Grant Roelofsen (wk), Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, Delano Potgieter, George Linde, Sam Curran, Rashid Khan (c), Duan Jansen, Olly Stone, Jofra Archer

10 Jan 2023, 2:59 pm

MI Cape Town will bowl

The first coin toss of the SA20 has happened and it's been won by MI Cape Town's Rashid Khan, who has asked Paarl Royals to bat. Remember that there's an innovation in this league. Captains can name 13 players before the toss and whittle it down to 11 after. I'll let you know when I have the team sheets.

10 Jan 2023, 2:53 pm

We're here for the vibes!

This was, without a doubt, the highlight of the opening ceremony. Master KG performing the hit single Jerusalema.

During lockdown we had the Jerusalema challenge, where we had to perfect this dance. It's jammin'

10 Jan 2023, 2:37 pm

The sights and sounds

10 Jan 2023, 1:36 pm

Sell-out (and power cut) expected

Fans are coning in, complete with colourful bucket hats that they are getting from the organisers, and the great news is that it's a sell-out at Newlands. This is the first match with so many fans since the pandemic and the Cape Town locals are only too keen to pack in.

The bad news is that Cape town is currently experiencing Stage 3 power cuts and so the lights will be out in this area at 8pm. That's 45 minutes before the scheduled close of play. Luckily the SA20 are prepared and all ground have outside power supplies. I heard the generator going as I came in - there was also a power cut from 12pm to 2.30pm - and it seems as though its all systems go.

10 Jan 2023, 1:05 pm

It's here!

Oooh laaa la! Here we are.

It's only taken South African cricket almost six years and two failed attempts to get themselves a big-money T20 franchise league but they've done it. In a little under two-and-a-half hours' time, MI Cape Town will take on Paarl Royals in the opener.

It's a gorgeous day in the Cape, which started out misty and has cleared to reveal our mountain in her full glory and those blue, blue skies. They don't make 'em as good as they do here in Africa.

The opening ceremony kicks off in about 45 minutes and will feature Master KG - not KG Rabada - performing his hit Jerusalema. But speaking of, Rabada has joined up with the Cape Town team, straight off the flight from Australia where South Africa's Test team lost 2-nil (but we're not talking about that today) but is not expected to play today. We'll let you know if we spot Jofra Archer warming up. In the meantime... here's the view.

06 Jan 2023, 5:51 pm

Injured Obed McCoy out of SA20

West Indies left-arm quick Obed McCoy has been ruled out of the upcoming SA20 with injury. McCoy was among Paarl Royals' pre-auction signings, but his absence now has dealt a blow to their seam attack. Royals will look up to their wildcard pick Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi to share death-bowling responsibilities.

30 Dec 2022, 4:38 pm

All the wildcards at SA20

The completion of the wildcard list means that no Pakistan players will feature at the SA20 with sources citing the scheduling of the PSL - it is set to run from February 13 to March 19, while the SA20 final is on February 11 - as the main reason for their absence.

There has also been no interest in South Africa's white-ball captain Temba Bavuma, who went unsold at the auction.

30 Dec 2022, 4:12 pm

Dananjaya is Super Giants' wildcard

Durban Super Giants have recruited Sri Lanka mystery spinner Akila Dananjaya as their wildcard player. Dananjaya was not part of the recently concluded LPL 2022, but has had stints in the IPL and CPL. In all, he has played 110 T20s so far, taking 127 wickets at an economy rate of 7.34.

30 Dec 2022, 3:50 pm

Muthusamy goes to Capitals

Pretoria Capitals have added allrounder Senuran Muthusamy to their squad as their wildcard signing. Muthusamy is a useful lower-order batter and a left-arm spinner. He has also played two Tests for South Africa. He has scored 857 runs at a strike rate of 112.02 and has taken 43 wickets in 49 T20s so far.

30 Dec 2022, 3:24 pm

Joburg Super Kings sign Phangiso

Joburg Super Kings have picked left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso as their wildcard player. Phangiso played 21 ODIs and 16 T20Is for South Africa. Overall in T20 cricket, he has claimed 170 wickets at an economy rate of 6.61. He was also the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the CSA T20 Challenge in November, scalping 12 wickets in nine matches for Titans.

30 Dec 2022, 3:13 pm

MI Cape Town rope in Archer as wildcard

MI Cape Town have signed England fast bowler Jofra Archer as their wildcard player. He is set to join the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran in the squad.

Having recovered from a series of injuries in the recent years, Archer has been named in the England's 14-man squad for the tour of South Africa in January. Archer, England's leading wicket-taker in their 2019 ODI World Cup triumph, had last played an international game in March 2021.

In T20s, he has taken 153 wickets in 121 matches at an economy rate of 7.65.

30 Dec 2022, 9:36 am

Paarl Royals sign Phehlukwayo as wildcard

Seam-bowling allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo has been added to Paarl Royals' squad as their wildcard player, taking their squad count to 18. He joins the likes of David Miller, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shami in the squad, thereby "strengthening the South African core", Royals said in a release.

Phehlukwayo was part of South Africa's reserves the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup, and has 92 wickets (economy rate 8.47) and 693 runs (strike rate 119.27) from 107 T20s.

"He's one of those experienced, multi-faceted players who can fit in anywhere, and provide us with greater flexibility in terms of the line-up for different conditions and matches," head coach JP Duminy said. "He has a good understanding of the South African conditions, and brings international experience also into our side."

20 Dec 2022, 2:20 pm

Parnell to lead Pretoria Capitals

Wayne Parnell has been appointed captain of Pretoria Capitals for the inaugural edition of the SA20 league, to be played from January 10 to February 11.

“It’s a massive privilege to be able to lead the Pretoria Capitals franchise,” Parnell said in a statement. “The team management has trusted me to lead this team, and that’s pretty special. I am looking forward to getting stuck in with the boys, and want to play a brand of cricket that is bold and fearless.”

People of Pretoria, this is your Captain @WayneParnell speaking #PretoriaCapitals pic.twitter.com/v3yZevG17V
— Pretoria Capitals (@PretoriaCapsSA) December 20, 2022

Graham Ford, the head coach of the team, said of Parnell: “Not only is he familiar with most of the players in our squad, having played with or against them quite extensively, he’s also someone with a very dynamic outlook and personality, which I am confident will reflect in his leadership as well.”

Parnell, now 33, had played 53 T20Is over the years - along with six Tests and 69 ODIs - and 192 T20s for teams across the world, in India, Pakistan, the West Indies, Canada, England, and, of course, South Africa. Overall, he has 247 T20 wickets from 245 games at an economy rate of 7.81, while also scoring 1817 runs from 149 innings at a strike rate of 122.85.

23 Nov 2022, 1:39 pm

Eastern Cape rope in Jordan Hermann

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have added Warriors middle-order batter Jordan Hermann in their squad as their wildcard signing.

The 20-year-old will join the likes of Aiden Markram and Ottniel Baartman in the side. Eastern Cape had earlier named Adrian Birrell as their head coach, and he will be assisted by Baakier Abrahams, Hemang Badani and Dale Steyn.

Hermann is a middle-order batter and is coming fresh off a 281-ball 187 not out against Boland in the domestic four-day franchise competition. He has so far played six T20 games and scored 186 runs with an average of 46.50 and strike rate of 116.25.

18 Sep 2022, 1:12 pm

Miller named Paarl Royals captain

David Miller has been named Paarl Royals captain for the inaugural season of SA20, South Africa's T20 league, which is scheduled for January 2023.

Miller was snapped up by the franchise in August, along with Jos Buttler, Obed McCoy and Corbin Bosch. All four players have worked with the owners before, having represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Miller is also part of the Barbados Royals - which was taken over by the franchise in 2021 - in the CPL and was named captain ahead of the 2022 season.

"It makes me immensely proud to have been appointed as the captain of the Paarl Royals," Miller said. "To be able to call it my home, gives me great joy. The people of Paarl and the Western Cape as a whole are great supporters of quality and entertaining cricket, and my ambition will be to lead the team in the right manner and give our fans countless memories to cheer their team on."

15 Sep 2022, 6:47 am

JP Duminy named Paarl Royals head coach

Former South Africa batter JP Duminy has been named head coach of Paarl Royals at the SA20. Duminy, who turned out in 46 Tests, 199 ODIs and 81 T20Is between 2004 and 2019, has previously worked with local franchise Lions as batting consultant and provincial side Boland as head coach. His highest profile job came with the South Africa men's team, as strategic consultant at the 2021 T20 World Cup.

08 Sep 2022, 2:34 pm

Dale Benkenstein added to Pretoria Capitals' staff

Pretoria Capitals have signed up former South Africa allrounder Dale Benkenstein as an assistant coach. He joins a staff that also includes Jacques Kallis (assistant coach) and Graham Ford (head coach).

07 Sep 2022, 11:36 am

Kallis joins Pretoria Capitals as assistant coach

Pretoria Capitals have roped in Jacques Kallis, the former South Africa allrounder, as assistant coach for the inaugural edition of the SA20. He will be working closely with Graham Ford, who was earlier named head coach of the franchise. Kallis has been busy with coaching assignments since announcing his retirement from international cricket, most notably with Kolkata Knight Riders, a side he also played for.

02 Sep 2022, 2:53 pm

Birrell to be Eastern Cape's head coach; Abrahams, Badani, Steyn part of support staff

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have named Adrian Birrell as their head coach the inaugural season of SA20. He will be assisted by Baakier Abrahams, Hemang Badani and Dale Steyn.

Birrell has previously coached Ireland, Hampshire, Boland and England U-19. When Russell Domingo was South Africa’s head coach, Birrell was his assistant.

Abrahams will be the assistant coach at Eastern Cape, while Badani and Steyn will be batting and bowling coach respectively apart from looking after the strategy. Badani and Steyn are also part of the support staff at Sunrisers Hyderabad, the team owned by the franchise in the IPL. Badani is the fielding coach and scout there; Steyn is the fast bowling coach.

18 Aug 2022, 1:19 pm

The full squads so far...

17 Aug 2022, 6:39 am

Sunrisers Eastern Cape sign Markram, Baartman

Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the CSA T20 league team owned by the owners of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, have announced their first signings: Aiden Markram and Ottniel Baartman.

Markram is, of course, one of South Africa’s premier all-format players, and recently won the top T20I player honour at the recent CSA awards. He is also turned out for Sunrisers - as well as Punjab Kings - in the IPL. Baartman, meanwhile, is a 29-year-old South African medium pacer, who has never played internationally, but has made a name as a death-overs specialist.

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15 Aug 2022, 12:09 pm

Faf du Plessis back with Super Kings in South Africa

August 15, 2022: Johannesburg Super Kings have signed up the following players ahead of the auction:

Faf du Plessis (SA)
Moeen Ali (Eng)
Maheesh Theekshana (SL)
Romario Shepherd (WI)
Gerald Coetzee (CSA, uncapped)

More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:55 pm

Pretoria Capitals pick two players

August 13, 2022: Pretoria Capitals have signed up two South African pace bowlers ahead of the auction:

Anrich Nortje (SA)
Migael Pretorius (SA, uncapped)

More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:52 pm

Paarl Royals name their four

August 12, 2022: Paarl Royals snapped up:

David Miller (SA)
Corbin Bosch (SA, uncapped)
Jos Buttler (Eng)
Obed McCoy (WI)

More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:47 pm

Durban franchise names five signings

August 12, 2022: The five players signed by the Durban franchise in the CSA T20 League:

Quinton de Kock (SA)
Prenelan Subrayen (SA, uncapped)
Jason Holder (WI)
Kyle Mayers (WI)
Reece Topley (Eng)

More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:43 pm

MI Cape Town announce signings

August 11, 2022: MI Cape Town, Mumbai Indians' franchise in the upcoming CSA T20 league, has announced its five signings ahead of the player auction.

Rashid Khan (Afg)
Liam Livingstone (Eng)
Sam Curran (Eng)
Kagiso Rabada (SA)
Dewald Brevis (SA, uncapped)

More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:40 pm

Livingstone and Buttler in top salary bracket

August 10, 2022: Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy are among 11 England players to have signed on for CSA's new T20 league, joining Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali. English representation is the largest among the direct overseas signings the league has made so far. With 10 players, including Niroshan Dickwella, Sri Lanka is next. More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:38 pm

30 'marquee' international players on board

August 10, 2022: CSA's new T20 league has said it has already signed over 30 "marquee" international players for its inaugural season beginning in January next year. Though it did not name any of the players in its statement, the league said "the numbers [are] set to increase as players enter the auction taking place in the next few weeks." More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:36 pm

Buttler and Livingstone sign up

July 29, 2022: Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali and Jason Holder have signed up to play South Africa's new T20 league, which is to launch in January and is offering player salaries up to USD 300,000. The league, headed by former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, will be played by six franchises who will each have a purse of $2 million for player acquisition. More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:29 pm

Klusener appointed coach of Durban franchise

July 25, 2022: Lance Klusener has been signed up as the head coach of the Durban franchise in CSA's new T20 league, which is scheduled for January-February 2023. The appointment is the first by the RPSG group, which owns the Durban franchise (and the Lucknow franchise in the IPL). Incidentally, all the six franchises in the league have been bought by current IPL team owners. More here.

13 Aug 2022, 3:22 pm

CSA T20 league likely to have four overseas players

July 20, 2022: South Africa's new franchise T20 league is likely to allow four international players in an eleven, with no other requirements - such as transformation targets - imposed on the teams. Indian players are not expected to be available. More here.