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Sunrisers Eastern Cape Crush MI Cape Town to Seal SA20 Qualifier 1 Spot

Sunrisers Eastern Cape secured first place and a spot in Qualifier 1 with a commanding seven-wicket win over MI Cape Town, eliminating their opponents from playoff contention. MI Cape Town, needing a bonus point win, posted 148/6 thanks to an unbeaten 70 from Reeza Hendricks. The Sunrisers' chase was anchored by a 109-run partnership between Quinton de Kock (56) and Matthew Breetzke (66). Jordan Hermann hit the winning runs off the penultimate ball, sparking celebrations at St George's Park.

Key Points: Sunrisers Eastern Cape Secure SA20 Qualifier 1, Eliminate MI Cape Town

  • SEC top table & reach Qualifier 1
  • MI Cape Town eliminated from playoffs
  • Reeza Hendricks scores 70* in losing cause
  • Quinton de Kock & Matthew Breetzke's 109-run partnership
2 min read

SA20: Sunrisers Eastern Cape secure qualifier 1 spot as MI Cape Town eliminated from season 4

Sunrisers Eastern Cape top the SA20 table, eliminating MI Cape Town from playoffs. Reeza Hendricks' 70* in vain as Quinton de Kock leads chase.

"The seven-wicket victory was the perfect sendoff for the Orange Army - SA20 Report"

Cape Town, January 19

Sunrisers Eastern Cape delivered a commanding performance that not only secured the two-time champions' place at the top of the SA20 table but also dashed MI Cape Town's Season 4 Playoffs aspirations, edging them out by seven wickets in a thrilling contest at St George's Park on Sunday.

MI Cape Town required a bonus point victory to stay in contention, but now the final playoff place on offer will be a straight shootout between Joburg Super Kings and Durban's Super Giants.

DSG's hopes are hinging on JSK losing to Paarl Royals at Boland Park on Monday. A victory for JSK will see DSG eliminated, according to the SA20 website.

The Royals can still overtake the Sunrisers at the top of the table should they beat JSK, but Adrian Birrell's side have secured their place in Qualifier 1 at Kingsmead on Wednesday, as they can no longer finish outside the top two in the final Betway SA20 standings.

The seven-wicket victory was the perfect sendoff for the Orange Army, as the unofficial 12th man had once again come out in their thousands for the fifth game in succession to support the local team.

They were not disappointed with new Australian import Chris Green delivering an excellent performance with the ball on his Sunrisers debut. The off-spinner, who was born in South Africa, made the most of the spin-friendly conditions to finish with 3/29.

He was ably supported by off-spinner James Coles (1/17) as the Sunrisers limited MI Cape Town to 148/6.

Reeza Hendricks was the cornerstone of MI Cape Town's innings with an undefeated 70 (44 balls, 8x4, 1x6), and George Linde struck a quickfire 30 off 17 balls (4x6), but they needed much more to push for the bonus point win.

Sunrisers' chase centred around Quinton de Kock (56 off 49 balls, 6x4, 2x6) once again, with the in-form opener sharing a 109-run partnership for the second wicket with Matthew Breetzke (66 off 55 balls, 8x4).

Both departed with victory in sight to create tension all around the ground, but Jordan Hermann held his nerve to hit the winning runs off the penultimate ball of the match to send St George's Park into seventh heaven.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As an Indian cricket fan, it's great to see such competitive leagues abroad. The SA20 is producing some thrilling matches! Chris Green's debut was fantastic. Hope the IPL scouts are watching.
R
Rohit P
MI Cape Town's elimination is a shocker! They have such a strong squad on paper. Reeza Hendricks played a lone hand. Sometimes you need all departments to fire, especially when chasing a bonus point. Tough luck for them.
S
Sarah B
The atmosphere at St George's Park sounds electric! The 'Orange Army' is a proper 12th man. This is what franchise cricket is all about - building local fan loyalty. Well done, Sunrisers Eastern Cape!
V
Vikram M
Respectful criticism: The article focuses a lot on the winners, but MI's batting strategy seemed off. When you *need* a bonus point win, 148 was never going to be enough. They should have taken more risks in the powerplay. Just my two cents.
K
Karthik V
Now the drama shifts to JSK vs Royals! The playoff race is nail-biting till the end. As an Indian, I love this format - every match matters. Hoping for a last-ball thriller tomorrow! 🤞

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