TimesofIndia.com in Johannesburg:
After 30 matches, with every workforce enjoying 10 every, we’ve got our top-four of the SA20. MI Cape City, Paarl Royals, Sunrisers Jap Cape and Joburg Tremendous Kings are heading to the playoffs of the third season of the South African T20 league.
Pretoria Capitals and Durban’s Tremendous Giants had horrible campaigns — with simply two wins — and won’t be reserving their flights to Port Elizabeth and/or Johannesburg for the playoffs.
Within the first qualifier, MI Cape City will face Paarl Royals and the victor will undergo on to the ultimate. The shedding workforce will face the winner of the Eliminator between Joburg Tremendous Kings and Sunrisers Jap Cape within the second qualifier.
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Earlier than we sit up for the playoffs, let’s look again on the 4 groups who’re nonetheless alive.
MI Cape City had occupied the underside spot in each of the earlier SA20 editions. This time, although, they completed prime with seven wins and two defeats from the 10 matches (one was washed out). A lot of the credit score for his or her very good present this time goes to the opening pair of Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton.
Regardless of being rested for his or her ultimate league match, Van der Dussen tops the scoring charts with 330 runs at a median of 55 and a strike price of 134.15. Rickelton has been equally impactful with 259 runs at a median of 51.80.
The coastal groups — MI Cape City and Paarl Royals — have made probably the most of their dwelling circumstances. Newlands (dwelling to the MI Cape City) and Boland Park (dwelling to the Paarl Royals) each witnessed unbeaten runs from the hosts – 5 performed and 5 wins. Worryingly, maybe, MI Cape City and Paarl Royals picked two and three defeats, respectively, when on the highway.
Like MI Cape City, Royals’ cost, predominantly, has additionally been led by the 2 opening batters – Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Joe Root. The massive problem for the Royals now will likely be how they cope with out Root who has travelled to India for the ODI sequence.
That leaves the onus on the 18-year-old Pretorius so as to add to his 323 runs at a median of 32.30, which has him in second place on the run-scoring record.
Now we transfer to the two-time defending champions Sunrisers Jap Cape. At one stage, it seemed like they might miss out on the playoffs having misplaced their first three matches. They introduced themselves again into competition with 4 wins in a row solely to complete with 5 wins and an equal variety of defeats.
Not like MICT and PR, SEC have discovered their surge from the bowling division. Marco Jansen is prime of the wicket-takers chart with 15 scalps, whereas fellow seamer Richard Gleeson has picked 12 wickets.
Joburg Tremendous Kings spherical up the playoff groups. Their 4 wins and 5 defeats was sufficient to maintain them comfy from the underside two whereas preserving a large hole from the highest two, leading to a spot within the Eliminator.
With three of the 4 playoff matches to be performed in and round Johannesburg, they might hope to take advantage of the circumstances and the house crowd to go all the best way.
Donovan Ferreira has been the decide of the JSK gamers, scoring 163 runs at a strike price of 155.24 whereas additionally taking eight wickets at an economic system of 5.82.
All these stats and workforce streaks will depend for little, although, when the playoffs start on Tuesday (February 4) at Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
SA20 playoffs:
- Qualifier 1 – MI Cape City vs Paarl Royals at Gqeberha
- Eliminator – Joburg Tremendous Kings vs Sunrisers Jap Cape at Centurion
- Qualifier 2 – Loser of MICT vs PR vs Winner of JSK vs SEC at Centurion
- Ultimate – TBC vs TBC at The Wanderers, Johannesburg
