Patrick Kruger plays a shot for Sunrisers Eastern Cape during the league stage of the SA20 competition. Picture: SA20
Both teams are backing themselves based on their form this season, as Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Durban’s Super Giants target a place in the SA20 final when they square off in Cape Town on Tuesday.
It is not a must-win game for either side, with the losers being given a lifeline in another qualifier on Thursday, but there is plenty to gain, with the winners progressing automatically to the trophy contest this weekend and earning an extra two days rest.
Both teams won seven of their 10 matches in the league stage of the competition.
The Sunrisers were victorious in their last four games on the trot, and they finished just one point ahead of the Super Giants at the top of the table after the Durban outfit were edged by the Joburg Super Kings in a thrilling encounter at the weekend.
Sunrisers all-rounder Patrick Kruger said the Eastern Cape side were likely to stick to the processes that allowed them to rocket up the standings in the second half of the opening round.
With their all-round effort this year resembling their successful campaign last season when they lifted the trophy in the inaugural edition of the SA20 series, they hoped to mirror their 2023 playoff results this week.
“I don’t think anything will change from here. We’re just going to back our abilities, make sure we are rested and go into that game 100%,” Kruger said.
The Super Giants were also eager to maintain their good form, despite slipping in their last round-robin match against a fighting Super Kings side, who won the game with one ball to spare to progress to the playoffs.
“It’s always disappointing to lose but I don’t think it’s going to play in the back of our minds,” Mulder said over the weekend.
“I think we’ve played really well throughout the comp, so we’ll take a lot of confidence going into the next game.
“The winners of today’s match (starting at 5.30pm) will qualify for this weekend’s final, while the losing side will compete in an eliminator clash on Thursday against either the Paarl Royals or the Super Kings.
The Royals and the Super Kings, who finished third and fourth respectively on the log, will square off in an eliminator at the Wanderers on Wednesday.
The winning team will turn out again on Thursday for a place in the final, and the losers will be knocked out of the tournament.
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