Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 3 (ANI): SA20 is heading into the business end of the competition with the start of the Playoffs on Tuesday, bringing in an action-packed week where destiny will be decided, as per a press release.
The group phase of the competition has been incredibly entertaining with the coastal teams dominating – particularly on their home grounds – with Paarl Royals and MI Cape Town going unbeaten at home and creating fortresses at Boland Park and Newlands respectively.
MI Cape Town’s charge has been led by their devastating and consistent opening duo of Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton.
Despite being rested for the final league match of the season against Pretoria Capitals at Newlands on Sunday, Van der Dussen tops the run-scoring charts with 330 runs at an average of 55 and 134.15 strike-rate.
Rickelton has been equally impactful with 259 runs at an average of 51.80.
The Royals’ charge has also been led by their openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Joe Root. The latter will unfortunately not be available to the Royals for the Playoffs due to international commitments, but the teenager will hope to add to his 323 runs at 32.30, which has put him in second place on the run-scoring list for Season 3.
In a top-of-the-table clash, MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals will go head-to-head in an all-Western Cape derby in Qualifier 1 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday, February 4.
Defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape have been inconsistent during the group phase but have managed to keep their hat-trick championship bid on track through their excellent seam attack.
Allrounder Marco Jansen is top of the wicket-takers chart with 15 scalps at 15.80, while fellow fast bowler Richard Gleeson has 12 wickets at 19.91.
Jansen also leads the race for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award with a total of 159.54 points followed by Pretorius (130.85) and Joburg Super Kings’ Donovan Ferreira (122.08).
Ferreira’s Joburg Super Kings are the final team to complete the Playoffs line-up and will be hoping that playing on the Highveld will be advantageous when they meet the Sunrisers in the Eliminator at Centurion on Wednesday, February 5.
The winner of the Eliminator will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 at Centurion on Thursday, February 6 for a place in the Final at the Wanderers on Saturday, February 8, the SA20 press release added.
Besides watching the best of the best including Kagiso Rabada, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Marco Jansen, and Faf du Plessis in action during the Playoffs, the activities off the field will be dialed up a notch as sport and entertainment meet for an elevated experience. (ANI)
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