The defending champions of SA20 2023, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, are again going to participate in this Premier League with the intention to dominate once more. They will kick off the tournament by playing the first match on January 10 against Joburg Super Kings. Fans are excited to know which players are going to play for the Sunrisers, and for them, we have brought this article where we will take a look at the team.
Overview
The Sunrisers Eastern Cape, named after the South African city Cape Town, is a T20 franchise cricket team in the SA20 Premier League. Formed in 2022, it is currently owned and sponsored by the SUN Group. Under the commendable captaincy of Aiden Markram, the team dominated the first season, and fans are hoping for a similar performance this year. Check out the overview of the defending champions:
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape |
| Tournament | SA20 |
| Owner | SUN Group |
| Captain | Aiden Markram |
| Coach | Adrian Birrell |
| Home Ground | St George’s Park Cricket Ground |
| Official Website | www.sa20.co.za/team/sunrisers-eastern-cape |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape Team Squad
The T20 franchise cricket team, Sunrisers Eastern Cape Squad, consists of some of the best cricketers from Africa as well as around the world. It is considered the most thrilling team in the SA20 Cricket League by both cricket fans and experts.
The squad comprises 5 pre-signed South African players, 3 international players, 1 South African international player, and 1 uncapped South African player, chosen in accordance with the rules of the SA20 league. Aiden Markram will be the team captain for this season. Here are the details of the team squad:
Batsmen:
- Aiden Markram: South African Batsman and Captain of the team
- Temba Bavuma: South African Batsman
- Jordan Hermann: South African Batsman (Wild card)
- Marques Ackerman: South African Batsman
- Sarel Erwee: South African Batsman
All-Rounder:
- Ayabulela Gqamane: South African All-rounder
- James Fuller: New Zealander All-rounder
- JJ Smuts: South African All-rounder
- Marco Jansen: South African All-rounder
- Roelof van der Merwe: Dutch All-rounder
- Tom Abell: English All-rounder
Wicket-Keeper:
- Adam Rossington: English Wicket-keeper
- Jordan Cox: English Wicket-keeper
- Tristan Stubbs: South African Wicket-keeper
Bowlers:
- Junaid Dawood: South African spin bowler
- Mason Crane: English spin bowler
- Brydon Carse: English Fast bowler
- Ottniel Baartman: South African Fast bowler
- Sisanda Magala: South African Fast bowler
Coaches
To win a tournament, a team not only needs good players but also good coaches who play a crucial role in a team’s performance. Players spend a lot of their time training with their coaches. The Sunrisers Eastern Cape Squad is fortunate because they are going to be guided by the following great coaches:
| Coach Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Adrian Birrell |
| Bowling Coach | Dale Steyn |
| Batting Coach | Hemang Badani |
| Fitness Trainer | Laden Gamiet |
| Fielding Coach | Ryan Cook |
Home Ground
The home ground of Sunrisers Eastern Cape is St George’s Park Cricket Ground, also known as Crusaders Ground, located in Gqeberha, South Africa. It is one of the best venues in South Africa where several international and domestic matches are played every year. With a decent capacity, it allows up to 20,000 people to come and enjoy the match.
The first-ever international match was played in 1889, which was a test match against England. It was also the first test match of the ground’s tenant, the South African team. They lost their first match; however, since then, they have been dominating in their home grounds.
If you remember, St George’s Park was one of the venues to host matches when the 2009 IPL was moved to South Africa. It was also one of the 15 venues in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Now, for the 34 matches spanning through the month, it will be the home of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, where they will play most of their matches. We would recommend you check out the SA20 2024 schedule so you don’t miss any fun.
Last Year’s Performance
Last year, the first season of the SA20 league was held. Similar to this season, last year’s tournament consisted of 34 matches played between the months of January and February. Sunrisers Eastern Cape played their first and last match against the same team, Pretoria Capitals.
Sunrisers lost their first match on January 12 by 23 runs. Despite the bad start, Sunrisers Eastern Cape changed gears and won matches back-to-back, making their way to the final. They defeated Pretoria Capitals in a one-sided match in the final and lifted the SA20 trophy.