Sunrisers and Super Giants dominate SA20 team of the season

Players from the competition’s form sides, champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape and losing finalists Durban’s Super Giants, have been recognised for their performances during the SA20 series which concluded last week by dominating a ‘team of the season’ released by the organisers on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: We pick our form XI – and the season’s biggest flops

The 12-member team was selected with the assistance of analytics specialists CricViz, which uses an evaluation measure to assess the performance of players.

The Sunrisers and Super Giants are not the only teams represented on the list, with players from MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals getting the nod at the top of the order.

Batters

Ryan Rickelton, the league’s top run-scorer after making 530 runs at an average of 58.88 for MI Cape Town, has been selected as one of the openers, along with England International Jos Buttler, who contributed 408 runs for Paarl Royals at an average of 40.80. Buttler is also the team of the season’s wicketkeeper.

Other batters included in the list are English player Tom Abell, who was the Man of the Match in the final, as well as South African stars Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and Wiaan Mulder.

Klaasen was particularly impressive, receiving the Player of the Season award after hitting 447 runs at an average of 40.63 and a strike rate of 207.90.

The team of the season features only one genuine all-rounder, Marco Jansen, who was the competition’s leading wicket taker with 20 scalps at an average of 14.30.

Bowlers

Among the bowlers who made the list are spinners Keshav Maharaj, also selected as the team captain, and Afghan teenager Noor Ahmad.

The two-prong pace attack features Australia’s Dan Worrall and local star Ottniel Baartman who took 18 wickets in just eight innings with the ball.

After delivering some impressive performances for the Super Giants, top-order batter Matthew Breetzke is the team’s 12th man.

SA20 team of the season

Ryan Rickelton (MICT)

Jos Buttler (PR)

Tom Abell (SEC)

Tristan Stubbs (SEC)

Heinrich Klaasen (DSG)

Wiaan Mulder (DSG)

Marco Jansen (SEC)

Keshav Maharaj (DSG)

Noor Ahmad (DSG)

Dan Worrall (SEC)

Ottniel Baartman (SEC)

Matthew Breetzke (DSG)