Sunrisers Eastern Cape sealed their third SA20 title after chasing 159 and beating Pretoria Capitals by six wickets in the final at Newlands.
It was their fourth final in a row and once again they found a way to win under pressure. The chase looked shaky early, but two local hitters held their ground when it mattered most.
Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs created an unbeaten score of 114 points that completely turned the match around. Breetzke finished with 68 not out from 49 balls, while Stubbs remained unbeaten with 63 from 41.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape still needed 56 runs from the last four overs when the game took a sharp turn. Gideon Peters leaked 21 runs in the 18th over, which immediately eased the pressure.
Stubbs then finished it off in style. He hit back-to-back sixes in the final over and let out a loud roar when the winning moment arrived, soaking up the occasion on home soil.
Earlier, Pretoria Capitals looked ready for more after Dewald Brevis played a stunning knockout. The young batsman hit 101 off 56 balls, hit seven sixes and carried the innings almost single-handedly.
The rest of the Capitals’ at-bats struggled to keep up. Outside Brevis, the remaining batters scored just 55 runs from 64 balls, keeping the total under control.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s bowlers tightened the screws at the death. Marco Jansen was outstanding with figures of 3 for 10, including a double-wicket maiden in the 19th over.
Anrich Nortje backed him well, conceding just 19 runs in his four overs and ensuring the Capitals could not get past 160.
During the chase, Capitals’ spinners Keshav Maharaj and Roston Chase tried to slow things down. They gave away just 50 runs in their combined eight overs but ultimately lacked support.
The final ultimately went to Sunrisers Eastern Cape. They once again proved why they are the most dominant side in SA20 history, lifting a third title with a composed and confident performance.
Short scores: Pretoria Capitals 158/7 lost to Sunrisers Eastern Cape 162/4 in 19.2 overs by six wickets.
#SA20 #Sunrisers #Eastern #Cape #claim #SA20 #title #quiet #chase #final