SA20 Man of the Match final today: Who won PRE vs EAC Man of the Match in SA20 final 2023?

During the final match of SA20 2023 between Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Cape Town, Sunrisers Eastern Cape beat Pretoria Capitals by 4 wickets to win the inaugural season of the tournament.

Chasing a below par 136-run target on a Sunday afternoon, Sunrisers weren’t able to dominate the opposition but collectively managed to seal the chase with 22 balls to spare.

Opening the batting with Temba Bavuma (2), Sunrisers wicket-keeper batter Adam Rossington scored his 14th T20 half-century in a winning effort. A pivotal reason behind a comfortable victory, Rossington scored a hard-hitting 57 (30) consisting of four fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 190.

Eventually, Sunrisers all-rounder Marco Jansen (1/22 & 13*) hit counterpart James Neesham for a six and four off consecutive balls to bring down curtains on a successful season of a T20 tournament.

SA20 Man of the Match final today

Sunrisers captain Aiden Markram (1/17 & 26) contributed across departments after winning the toss and opting to field first earlier in the day. Markram’s decision was supported to a tee by veteran all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe, who was the pick of the bowlers in the match with match-winning figures of 4-0-31-4 to his name.

Introduced into the attack as a first-change bowler in the third over itself, van der Merwe dismissed the likes of Phil Salt (8), Theunis de Bruyn (11), Eathan Bosch (15) and Migael Pretorius (15) to be among the wickets throughout the innings.

“Unbelievable day. Can’t ask for anything more. At my age [38], you never know what will be your last game. So, I give everything into every ball. There was help in the wicket. Looking back at what [Adam] Rossington did, that is what won us the game. Still buzzing. Will sink in once we have the debrief in the change room,” van der Merwe told SuperSport during the post-match presentation ceremony.

There’s something about @Roela52 in orange that just fits #Betway #SA20 @Betway_India pic.twitter.com/e2AZE59cFU

— Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) February 12, 2023

van der Merwe, who had made his international debut for South Africa but plies his trade for Netherlands now, picked 20 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 9.55, an economy rate of 5.61 and a strike rate of 10.2 to finish the season as the joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Pretoria fast bowler Anrich Nortje.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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