After wooden spoons in the first two editions, MI Cape Town (MICT) bounced back to win the SA20 2025 as they demolished two-time defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in the final on Saturday at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. (Live Blog | More Cricket News)
It was total domination from MICT who first posted an above-par total of 181/8 before bundling SEC out for just 105. SEC were thus denied a hat-trick of SA20 titles after lifting the trophy for the first two editions of the tournament.
MICT captain Rashid Khan had won the toss and opted to bat first citing the big game pressure and fresh wicket.
MI Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape SA20 Final Playing XI
Sunrisers Eastern Cape Playing XI: Tony de Zorzi, David Bedingham, Jordan Hermann, Aiden Markram(c), Tom Abell, Tristan Stubbs(w), Marco Jansen, Craig Overton, Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson, Andile Simelane
MI Cape Town Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton(w), Rassie van der Dussen, Dewald Brevis, Connor Esterhuizen, George Linde, Delano Potgieter, Reeza Hendricks, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan(c), Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult
Ryan Rickelton smashed Marco Jansen for a couple of sixes in the first two overs of the tall pacer to get MICT off to a fantastic start. MICT crossed 50 in the fifth over but Overton sent Rickelton back in the same over.
Reeza Hendricks was dismissed in the next over by Richard Gleeson to help SEC bounce back. 52 came in the powerplay for MICT. Runs dried up as the field opened and Rassie van der Dussen perished after a slow 23 to Dawson. George Linde then hit a three sixes in a small cameo to give MICT the much needed impetus in the middle of the innings.
Once Linde became Dawson's second scalp of the day, the in-form Dewald Brevis took over. Brevis' blitz threatened to take the game away from SEC but Jansen returned to get him and added the wicket of Corbin Bosch to his name. An underwhelming finish let down MICT and they were stopped at 181/8 in 20 overs. Apart from Dawson and Jansen, Gleeson too picked up a couple of wickets for SEC.
MICT's defence of 182 was off to a great start as Rabada dismissed David Bedingham in the second over. Trent Boult then got the wicket of Jordan Hermann to make things even tougher for SEC. A 57-run partnership for the third wicket between Tony de Zorzi and Tom Abell raised the hopes of defending champions but once Linde got the wicket of Abell in the 10th over, things changed dramatically. A procession of wickets started and the big guns of SEC, Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubs failed to seal the fate of the game.
Boult who bowled his four overs for just nine runs and picked up a a couple of wickets was named the Player of the Match. Maro Jansen, the top wicket-taker of the tournament who also scored some crucial runs, was named the Player of the Season. He also was adjudged the bowler of the season while Paarl Royals opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius was named the best batter of this edition.
