New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): The SA20 Season 3 is set to light up the South African summer once again, bringing good cricket and entertainment to fans all around the country.
The action-packed tournament, featuring the best local and international talent, is set to thrill from January 9, 2024, with the final locked in for 8 February at the iconic Wanderers Stadium, as per the SA20 release.
The season kicks off with an almighty bang as back-to-back champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) start their unprecedented bid for a hat-trick of titles by hosting MI Cape Town (MICT) in the competition opener at St George’s Park. The opener will feature a blockbuster face-off between SEC captain Aiden Markram and MICT’s new box-office recruit Ben Stokes. There will also be a battle of southpaws between SEC’s Marco Jansen and MICT’s Trent Boult.
After the curtain’s been lifted, last season’s runners-up Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) welcome Pretoria Capitals (PC) to Kingsmead on Friday, 10 January. It will be the first opportunity for the Super Giants fans to see Black Caps legend Kane Williamson in action up close, while Capitals’ speedster Anrich Nortje will also make a welcome return after missing Season 2 through injury.
The action gets ramped up even further on the opening weekend when Paarl Royals (PR) begin their campaign against SEC at the picturesque Boland Park before Joburg Super Kings (JSK) take on MICT under lights at what is expected to be a heaving Bullring on Saturday, 11 January.
The Royals have invested heavily in their young players with teenage fast bowling sensation Kwena Maphaka out to continue his upward career trajectory. He won’t need to look too far to find some calm, experienced heads around him though as he will be able to call on legends Dinesh Karthik and Joe Root for advice, whilst for JSK, it will be an emotional homecoming for Devon Conway as he makes his return to the Wanderers to lead the charge with Faf du Plessis.
The weekend’s action reaches a crescendo when the Pretoria Capitals (PC) face off against DSG at Centurion on Sunday, 12 January.
As the season progresses, the stakes will rise, leading into the playoff stages.
Season 3 has retained the same playoff structure of Season 2, but this time around they will be played at three venues, spreading the business end of the tournament to more fans than Season 1 and 2; with a Qualifier 1, Eliminator and a Qualifier 2 setting up the road to the Final.
The top two teams will play each other in Qualifier 1, followed by the Eliminator between the third and fourth-placed teams. The loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator will battle it out in Qualifier 2, for a chance to book their place in the Final, against the winner of Qualifier 1.
St George’s Park in Gqeberha will host Qualifier 1, while Centurion will stage both the Eliminator and Qualifier 2.
And after hosting the inaugural Betway SA20 showpiece, the grand finale will once again return to the Wanderers in Season 3 on 8 February 2024.
The fixtures were unveiled in Johannesburg and attended by SA20 League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, players from the six franchise teams, key stakeholders and the media, as the excitement builds towards 9 January.
“Season 3 is set to be bigger and better, with a fantastic lineup of matches that will captivate our fans. We’re thrilled to start the season in Gqeberha with our defending champions and look forward to an action-packed summer of cricket. As we welcome international talent to the roaring pool of local stars, we aim to deliver an unforgettable experience for both players and fans alike,” Smith said as quoted by an SA20 release. (ANI)
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