Joburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis celebrates with his teammates after taking the catch in their recent SA20 match against MI Cape Town.
The Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape go head to head in a vitally important SA20 clash at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon (start 5:30pm).
The Sunrisers are currently third on the SA20 log and know one more win will secure their place in the playoffs, while the Super Kings sit in the fourth and final playoff spot and need a win to keep the chasing pack off their back.
ALSO READ: Sunrisers ready for quick turnaround after record thrashing of Capitals
The two teams, who contested last year’s semifinal with the Sunrisers emerging victorious, were supposed to meet in the opening game of the competition in Gqeberha but saw it washed out without a ball being bowled.
Where and what time: Wanderers, first ball at 5.30pm
Who’s playing: Joburg Super Kings from Johannesburg against Sunrisers Eastern Cape from Gqeberha.
How to watch: SuperSport, channel 201 and 212
Sunrisers EC: Tom Abell, Ottneil Baartman, Temba Bavuma, Liam Dawson, Sarel Erwee, Aya Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Jordan Hermann, Marco Jansen, Patrick Kruger, Dawid Malan, Aiden Markram, Adam Rossington, Caleb Seleka, Andile Simelane, Tristan Stubbs, Beyers Swanepoel, Daniel Worrall
JSK: Moeen Ali, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Sam Cook, Faf du Plessis, Leus du Plooy, Donovan Ferreira, Dayyaan Galiem, Reeza Hendricks, Ronan Hermann, Zahir Khan, Wayne Madsen, Sibonelo Makhanya, Aaron Phangiso, Romario Shepherd, Kyle Simmonds, Imran Tahir, David Wiese, Lizaad Williams
For the home team, Leus du Plooy has by far been their best batter this season, sitting seventh on the run scoring charts with 224 runs at an average of 37.33 and a top score of 71. However captain Faf du Plessis seems to be hitting his straps at the right time with unbeaten scores of 25 off 12 balls and 50 off 20 in his last two innings.
On the bowling front Lizaad Williams is tied second on the wicket taking list with 11 scalps at an average of 17.63 and best figures of 4/26, while Imran Tahir has been very tidy in picking up seven wickets and keeping a tight economy rate of just 6.55.
For the Sunrisers their batters have shared the load brilliantly as seen by their top three runs scorers only ranked 10th, 14th and 15th, but with fantastic averages.
Tristan Stubbs has scored 190 runs at an average of 63.33 and a highest score of 66no, Tom Abell has scored 157 at an average of 52.33 and highest score of 65, and Jordan Hermann has scored 164 at an average of 41 and highest score of 106no.
Their top bowlers are Ottneil Baartman and Daniel Worrall who are both tied third on the wicket taking list with 10 scalps. Baartman’s wickets have come over five games at an average of 15.20 and best figures of 4/12, while Worrall’s have come in six games at an average of 19 and best of 3/22.
The Super Kings and Sunrisers have met on four occasions, with the Johannesburg side winning twice in the pool stage last year, before the Eastern Cape side won the semifinal and their first pool stage game this year was washed out.
In their first meeting last season, JSK won by five wickets in Gqeberha after the Sunrisers were all out for 127 with Adam Rossington, 40 off 31, top scoring and Aaron Phangiso, 4/20, the key bowler, while Leus du Plooy, 47no off 40, led the chase.
The return match in Joburg the home team won by 24 runs, after posting 160/6 thanks to Faf du Plessis hitting 92 off 61 balls, before Kyle Simmonds, 3/23, helped restrict the Sunrisers to 136/9 despite Temba Bavuma’s 34-ball 50.
In their semi-final clash in Centurion, the Sunrisers won by 14 runs after Aiden Markram’s 100 off 58 balls led them to 213/5, Lizaad Williams claiming 4/36, while JSK reached 199/6 thanks to Reeza Hendricks 96 off 54 balls, but it wasn’t enough.
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