Sunrisers Eastern Cape join Perth Scorchers in elite list, defeat Paarl Royals to secure SA20 final berth
Sunrisers Eastern Cape put forth a brilliant performance against Paarl Royals in the Qualifier clash of the ongoing SA20. Making it to the final, the side joined Perth Scorchers in an elite list as they scripted history.
The stage is set for the final of the ongoing SA20 2025-26. Sunrisers Eastern Cape will be taking on Pretoria Capitals in the summit clash of the tournament at Newlands, Cape Town, on January 25. It is worth noting that Sunrisers managed to reach the tournament final after they defeated Paarl Royals in Qualifier 2 of the competition.
Notably, this will be Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s fourth straight SA20 final, and by qualifying for the marquee clash, the side has become only the second team in franchise cricket history to qualify for four straight tournament finals after Perth Scorchers in the BBL (Big Bash League).
Chennai Super Kings sit in second place in the elite list, having qualified for three straight IPL finals. Eastern Cape making it to yet another final goes to show their consistency in the competition over the years, and they will now hope for a good showing in the summit clash as well.
James Coles helped Sunrisers register comfortable win
Speaking of the game between Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Paarl Royals, the clash saw Royals coming in to bat first. The side opened its innings with Lhuan-Dre Pretorius departing on a score of three runs. Kyle Verreynne was the standout performer with the bat, scoring 52* runs in 46 deliveries. Rubin Hermann added 12 runs on the board as Royals posted a total of 114 runs in the first innings.
Aiming to chase down the target, Sunrisers Eastern Cape opened its innings with Quinton de Kock scoring 25 runs in 12 deliveries. Matthew Breetzke and James Coles went unbeaten in the end on scores of 19 and 45 as the side chased down the target in 11.4 overs, winning the game by six wickets and qualifying for the tournament final.
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