Sunrisers begin title defence at home; Wanderers to host final

WANDERERS (Agencies): Two-time SA20 champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape will begin their title defence at home after St George’s Park was awarded the opening match of the new season. The Gqberha venue will also host the first qualifier at the end of the 30-match league phase to decide which team automatically makes it through to the final, to be held at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium. The Wanderers hosted the inaugural SA20 final before Newlands staged the match in the second season. No reason has been given for the switch back to Johannesburg but it may have to do with capacity. The Wanderers is South Africa’s biggest cricket venue and accommodates more than 30,000 people. SuperSport Park will host the eliminator and the second qualifier on consecutive days, making it the first time in the tournament’s short history that the playoffs take place in Centurion. Kingsmead in Durban and Boland Park in Paarl are the only two venues yet to have any of the marquee matches.

The SA20 will start on January 9 when Sunrisers play MI Cape Town and will follow the same format as season 2. Each team plays every other team home and away before the playoffs. The total number of matches remains 34. “We’re thrilled to start the season in Gqeberha with our defending champions and look forward to an action-packed summer of cricket. As we welcome international talent to the roaring pool of local stars, we aim to deliver an unforgettable experience for both players and fans alike,” Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner said in a statement. The SA20 squads are all but finalised with each of the six teams already having secured between 14 and 17 players on their rosters, just a few short of the maximum of 19. The remaining players will be decided via an auction on October 1.