St George's Park, Gqeberha [Source: @ddsportschannel/X]
On Tuesday, MI Cape Town will cross swords against Paarl Royals in the first qualifier of the ongoing SA20 2025. The much-awaited face-off will take place at St George's Park in Gqeberha.
Led by Rashid Khan, MICT finished the league stage as the top-ranked team, securing seven victories in ten matches. On a similar note, Paarl Royals were impressive in the first round, claiming the second position with same number of wins.
As two competitive outfits are set to collide with each other, let's see how the surface at St George's Park in Gqeberha will behave throughout the match.
St George's Park Gqeberha Stats And Records In SA20 2025
Criterion | Data |
---|---|
Matches played | 5 |
Matches won batting 1st | 4 |
Matches won bowling 1st | 1 |
Average 1st innings score | 150.2 |
Average 2nd innings score | 108.4 |
St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report: Is It Batting Or Bowling Friendly?
The surface at St George's Park in Gqeberha has been bowling-friendly in this year's SA20 season. The average scoring rate at this venue in the tournament reads 6.98, suggesting the track's conduciveness to bowling.
Therefore, it's expected that the conditions will get trickier for the batters, with the fast bowlers getting significant assistance off the deck. While the pitch might be a bit sticky, there could be a hint of uneven bounce and turn, which will keep the bowlers interested throughout the game. Teams setting the target have been more successful than the chasing sides, winning four of five SA20 2025 matches in Gqeberha. So, the toss-winner will likely bat first.
Players To Watch Out For At St George's Park Gqeberha
Rassie van der Dussen
- Experienced batter Rassie van der Dussen has been a force to reckon with the bat, amassing 330 runs at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 134.14. Considering his red-hot form, we reckon Van der Dussen could be a valuable player for his team.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Afghanistan's premier spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been prolific with the ball, scalping 14 wickets in ten innings at a superb economy of 6.52. His ability to trouble the batters with his accuracy and variations might prove handy for the Royals in this game.
Kagiso Rabada
- MICT's experienced pacer Kagiso Rabada can capitalise on the bowling-friendly nature of the surface and might emerge as a genuine threat to the Royals' batting lineup.
P.S: Apart from these players, the eyes will be on Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Joe Root, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde and Dewald Brevis.