SA20 - Week four final review

Intro: It was the final to be dreamed about. A shimmering Dewald Brevis century led the Pretoria Capitals to 158-7 and, just when it seemed beyond the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at 48-4, they stormed back to win their third title in four years in a pulsating, gloriously chaotic victory with four balls to spare.

It was stunning entertainment including all of the best ingredients – a century, brilliant bowling, dynamic fielding and fightbacks from both teams when the chips were running low.

𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 🏆🏆🏆

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have their hands on the #BetwaySA20 silverware 🟠👑#SSCricket pic.twitter.com/BN6M7ornZy

Match of the Week: Sunrisers v Pretoria Capitals. Both of them. The top-of-the-table Eliminator match was a good ’un with Sunrisers making 170-7 but Bryce Parsons (60) and Dewald Brevis (75 from 38 balls) got the job done. It was but a warm-up… The final was an absolute stunner.

Batter: Leus du Plooy’s 54 from 27 balls at Boland Park to get Joburg Super Kings into the play-offs was a rare combination of power and timing and Quinton de Kock 25 from 12 balls to get Sunrisers into the final at the Wanderers won’t last long in the memory but a quick start chasing a small total comes as a massive relief to teammates. Paarl Royals knew immediately they would be no miraculous escape.

Tristan Stubbs (63*) and Matthew Breetzke (68*) will remember their tournament-winning partnership of 114 for a long time to come but, for getting the Capitals into the final and then scoring 101 from 56 balls on the big day, Brevis showed the doubters – if there were any – why his team paid R16.5 million for him.

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐙𝐊𝐄 𝐱 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐒

Two Eastern Cape boys with orange in their blood 🧡#SSCricket | #BetwaySA20 | #BetwaySA20Final pic.twitter.com/wUHTt3Bi3W — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 25, 2026

Bowler: 46-year-old Imran Tahir deserves a mention for his miserly 2-17 for JSK against the Royals and 36-year-old youngster Hardus Viljoen was all bustle and nous for the Royals in the rematch, in a losing cause. But, while Brevis was wowing the world with his century at Newlands, Marco Jansen (4-1-10-3) and Anrich Nortje (4-0-19-1) were actually winning the match. Comfortably the bowlers of the week.

Performance: 21-year-old Englishman James Coles has already played over 130 professional games including 60+ in the T20 format. Sunrisers coach, Adi Birrell, knew how good he was. Bowling figures of 4-1-15-1 (many coaches say a maiden should count as a wicket) were followed by 45* from 19 balls as SEC powered past the Paarl Royals to reach their fourth consecutive final.

But, Bryce Parsons pips him for the Capitals bowling a spell of 3-0-10-3 and then scoring 60* from 44 balls in the company of Brevis to reach the final.

Overseas Player: Veteran Englishman Jonny Bairstow made a composed 50 from 36 balls for SEC in the Qualifier – which they lost – and a first-baller in the final. But he was a constant ‘presence’ in the field on the big day and proof that you can still ‘contribute’ even without runs or wickets.

But it was generally a thin final week for the overseas players…who even noticed that the champions only used three in the final?

Look out for: The Proteas take on the West Indies in the first of three T20 Internationals at Boland Park in Paarl on Tuesday. The others are at Centurion on Friday and then ‘Pink Day’ at the Wanderers on Sunday. Then it’s straight off to India for the T20 World Cup. The action never stops…