The second season of SA20, South Africa’s premier T20 cricket league, is about to begin, and fans are excited about it. But do you know what’s the reason for their excitement? It’s the thrilling matches they enjoyed in the inaugural season of SA20 last year.
This cricket league last year concluded in a blaze of glory. We witnessed matches full of entertainment, breathtaking performances, and, of course, some extraordinary bowling spells. While every team and player played well, the bowlers with the most wickets wrote their names in the record books and our memories. In this article, we will talk about the players who dominated the tournament with their tricky balls and took the most wickets in SA20.
Top 20 Leading Wicket Takers
The first season of the SA20 T20 cricket league started on January 12, 2023, and entertained cricket fans across the world for a month. A total of six teams competed for the shining trophy, which, in the end, went to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who defeated the Pretoria Capitals in a one-sided match in the final.
But that wasn’t the only award distributed. Top individual players also got awarded for their amazing performances in bowling, fielding, and batting. Let us leave the best fielders and leading run-scorers in the league for another article. Now let us take a look at the kings of the bowl – the top 20 players with the most wickets in SA20:
| Bowler | Matches | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| RE van der Merwe (SEC) | 10 | 20 |
| A Nortje (PC) | 11 | 20 |
| G Coetzee (JSK) | 9 | 17 |
| E Bosch (PC) | 12 | 15 |
| JDS Neesham (PC) | 12 | 14 |
| BC Fortuin (PR) | 11 | 14 |
| AU Rashid (PC) | 10 | 14 |
| SSB Magala (SEC) | 12 | 14 |
| E Jones (PR) | 10 | 13 |
| OEG Baartman (SEC) | 7 | 12 |
| AK Markram (SEC) | 12 | 11 |
| K Rabada (MICT) | 8 | 11 |
| L Ngidi (PR) | 10 | 11 |
| AM Phangiso (JSK) | 6 | 10 |
| JC Archer (MICT) | 6 | 10 |
| WD Parnell (PC) | 9 | 10 |
| RJW Topley (DSG) | 8 | 10 |
| D Pretorius (DSG) | 9 | 10 |
| OF Smith (MICT) | 7 | 9 |
| Rashid Khan (MICT) | 10 | 9 |
5 Bowlers Who Took Most Wickets In SA20
The top 5 names from the table are often seen in the list of the most wicket-takers. True cricket fans know that these bowlers have proved themselves multiple times in several tournaments and are worth talking about more:
1. Roelof van der Merwe
The 39-year-old bowling all-rounder, Roelof Erasmus van der Merwe, is one of the few players in the cricket world to represent more than one international team. The Dutch-South African left-arm spinner and hard-hitting batter has played internationally for both the Netherlands and South Africa.
In SA20 2023, he played for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He played a crucial role for his team in winning the tournament. He bowled 34 overs in 10 matches and took 20 wickets. In his best innings bowling, he took 6 wickets and gave only 20 runs.
2. Anrich Arno Nortje
The South African right-arm fast bowler, Anrich Arno Nortje, is one of the dangerous bowlers in the cricket world. We have seen his great performances in international matches, and he does the same job in domestic leagues like IPL.
In SA20, he plays for the Pretoria Capital, where he bowled almost 43 overs in 11 matches and took 20 wickets, the same as Roelof.
3. Gerald Coetzee
The young player, Gerald Coetzee, is a South African right-arm fast bowler. People often compare his body language to the great South African bowler Dale Steyn. In a short time, this inexperienced but talented player has impressed the fans.
He plays for the Joburg Super Kings in the South Africa Premier League. Last season he bowled almost 28 overs in 9 matches and took 17 wickets.
4. Eathan Bosch
The South African right-arm fast bowler, Eathan Bosch, played for Pretoria Capital last year and became one of the top bowlers in this league. He played 12 matches in which he bowled 40 overs and took 15 wickets.
5. James Neesham
James Douglas Sheahan Neesham, also known as Jimmy Neesham, is an all-rounder from New Zealand. He has retired from international cricket; however, he plays in various domestic leagues around the world.
He is a batting all-rounder, but in the SA20, he did his magic with bowling. Playing for Pretoria Capital, he participated in 12 matches in which he took 14 wickets in 30 overs.
Looking Ahead
Just like the last season, fans are expecting similar thrilling matches in the second season of SA20. Fans are already curious about who will be the bowler with the most wickets this year. But do you know when your favorite team is going to play? If not, then check out the schedule.