The SA20 season 2025 they started with a surprising result as the defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape suffered a humiliating defeat by 97 runs MI Cape Town at St George’s Park, Gqeberha. This was no ordinary defeat, but one that set several records, marking it as one of the most one-sided contests in tournament history.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape shock collapse and record lows
Chasing a challenging target of 175, the Sunrisers’ batting line-up fell apart spectacularly, giving up just 77 runs in 15 overs. It marked their lowest total in SA20 history, eclipsing their previous low of 122/9 against the Pretoria Capitals in the 2024 season. It also became the team’s second lowest total in the tournament’s three-year history.
They led the collapse Delano Potgieterwho bowled a dream spell, taking a sensational 5/10, the second best bowling figures in SA20 history, leaving the Sunrisers in tatters. Only Aiden Markram he showed some resistance with a modest 19 runs, while the rest of the batting order failed to cross double figures. Trent Boult added to the misery with a fiery spell of 2/16, including back-to-back dismissals of the England duo Zak Crawley (12) i Tom Abell (0), further spoiling Sunrisers’ hopes in the early stages of the chase.
MI Cape Town’s recovery and key contributions
MI Cape Town showed resilience after a shaky start to their innings, recovering from 42/3 inside the powerplay to post a stunning total of 174/7. Recovery was anchored by the ever-reliable Dewald Breviswho scored a well-compiled 57, managing the innings with composure and attacking intent. His efforts were complemented by useful contributions from the middle order, ensuring the team had a defendable total on the board.
For Sunrisers, the bowlers put in a commendable effort early in the innings, with Richard Gleeson picking 2/22 i Liam Dawson providing economic support with figures of 1/32. However, an inability to capitalize on their early breakthroughs proved costly as Cape Town’s batsmen came back into the game.
READ ALSO: Delano Potgieter wreaks havoc as MI Cape Town crush Eastern Cape Sunrisers in SA20 2025 opener.
SA20 unique scoring system
The emphatic margin of victory not only earned MI Cape Town the standard four points for the win, but also a bonus point, taking their tally to five points. This unique feature of the SA20, introduced in its inaugural season in 2023, rewards teams that dominate their opponents by scoring a run rate 1.25 times that of their opponents. The bonus points system encourages aggressive cricket and ensures that teams strive for comprehensive victories, making every match more competitive.
In case of a tie or no result, both teams get two points, while the defeated team gets no points. Unlike other T20 leagues, where wins earn an even number of points, the SA20 bonus point system adds an extra level of strategy and competition. For MI Cape Town, this bonus point win is confirmation of their superb performance, while for Sunrisers Eastern Cape, it marks another slump as they conceded a bonus point for the first time in three seasons, underscoring the extent of their defeat.
For the first time in 3 seasons the Eastern Cape Sunrisers conceded a bonus point to the opposition, the first one-sided game in 3 seasons.
— Harishwar Reddy (@ReddyMnc16) January 9, 2025
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