Sunrisers Eastern Cape Stamp Authority With Third SA20 Title As Sourav Ganguly's Pretoria Capitals Falter In Final

Back in September 2025, Sourav Ganguly sported a wry smile at the SA20 2025-26 auction table in Johannesburg. He had just snatched Dewald Brevis for Pretoria Capitals in a bidding war with Stephen Fleming, coach of Joburg Super Kings, with a record Rand 16.5 million (approximately Rs 9.4 crore) bid. It was the highest amount ever paid for an SA20 player but, according to Ganguly, justified for a "game-changer" like Brevis. By the end of Sunday evening, that smile nearly turned into a broad grin for Ganguly and his Pretoria Capitals side in the SA20 final but for Sunrisers Eastern Cape duo Tristan Stubbs (63*) and Matthew Breetzke (68*), who came out on top in a low-scoring yet tense chase that went till the last over.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the most successful team in SA20, stayed true to their reputation as they clinched their third title in four years.

Stubbs-Breetzke Masterclass

Chasing a 159-run target, Sunrisers were reduced to 48/4 in 8.4 overs. Stubbs and Breetzke held the key. They did not panic, and despite Sunrisers reaching 103/4 in 16 overs, the chase was always seemed under control. To make matters worse for Pretoria, Breetzke was dropped twice - once in the 17th over and again in the 18th.

The first big over came in the 17th, with Breetzke slamming three fours off Lizaad Williams. The next over, bowled by Gideon Peters, was even better for Sunrisers as it yielded 18 runs. The 19th over, bowled by Lungi Ngidi, was expected to be crucial, but it still went for 12. Sunrisers needed nine off the final six balls, which they achieved in just two deliveries. Ultimately, Stubbs and Breetzke's 114-run partnership off 77 balls proved to be the decisive factor.

Brevis Fights Lone Battle

Earlier, Brevis-after enduring a moderate season-came into his own in the business end of the tournament with two half-centuries against Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (in Qualifier 1). On Sunday, it culminated in SA20's first-ever century in a final. Brevis smashed 101 off 56 balls (7x6s, 8x4s). The magnitude of the knock is evident from the fact that the rest of the batters combined managed just 57 runs, as Pretoria posted 158/7 in 20 overs.

The task was far from easy for Brevis after Pretoria were reduced to 1/2 in the first seven balls. He took an over to settle in before making his intentions clear in the fourth over, bowled by Lutho Sipamla, with three fours. At the other end, Bryce Parsons played the perfect ally. In the sixth over, Brevis did even better against spinner James Coles, smashing two sixes and two fours. Even veteran spinner Senuran Muthusamy was not spared as Brevis brought up his half-century in just 26 balls.

Parsons was content playing a run-a-ball innings before a mix-up in the 13th over saw him run out. Within the next seven balls, James Cox was run out too. That brought Sherfane Rutherford into the mix, and he chipped in with a 17-run cameo off 11 balls. Brevis, however, remained undeterred.

He completed his first SA20 century in the 18th over, reaching the milestone in 53 balls. Brevis fell in the next over with the score reading 155/6 in 18.2 overs. In the final 12 balls, Pretoria could add only three runs.