St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report For SEC Vs MICT SA20 Match 1
![St George's Park Gqeberha [Source: @MazherArshad/X.Com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1736341381238_StGeorge'sParkGqeberha.jpg?im=Resize=(650,450))
St George's Park Gqeberha [Source: @MazherArshad/X.Com]
The wait is over as the much anticipated SA20 2025 is set to commence from January 9, Thursday. The first match will take place between two fiery teams in the form of defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town.
The contest will take place at the St George's Park in Gqeberha. The Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the two-time defending champions and are the team to beat once again as they boast a strong squad capable of winning the third title in a row.
The team has an able leader in Aiden Markram, who will be gunning for yet another SA20 title with a team filled with talented batters. The bowling still look weak on paper, but Markram has the experience of bringing out the best in them.
On the other hand, MI Cape Town have had two underwhelming seasons in SA20, but will be egaer to turn things around in the upcoming season. This season, the team will be led by Rashid Khan as they will try to capture their maiden title. However, before the match commences, let us take a closer look at what the pitch has to offer and will it suit the batters or bowlers?.
St George's Park Gqeberha T20 Stats And Records (SA20 2024)
| Category | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 5 |
| Matches won batting first | 2 |
| Matches won batting second | 2 |
| No result | 1 |
| Average first innings score | 153 |
| Average second innings score | 145 |
St George's Park Gqeberha: Is it batting or bowling friendly?
The St George's Park Gqeberha is known as an unpredictable surface due to the fact that in last season's SA20 matches at this venue, one match witnessed combined scores in excess of 400 and the other witnessed a low-scoring encounter.
Similarly, the last time a T20 game was played at this venue, India got restricted for just 124 and South Africa reached the target in the 19th over after losing 7 wickets. The pitch at this venue uses two strips - one where a high-scoring match gets witnessed and on another, the ball doesn't come onto the bat properly as the batters generally struggle for runs.
In SA20 2024, the average first innings score was 153 and the average second innings score was 145, showcasing that it wasn't the most high-scoring venue last season.
The last time these two teams met at this venue last season, it was a high-scoring contest as Sunrisers scored 175 and Cape Town finished at 171.
Players to watch out for at St George's Park Gqeberha
Tristan Stubbs
One of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball, Tristan Stubbs will be a key player at this venue. On a surface which could be two faced, Stubbs' game-play, both against pace and spin could come in handy for the Sunrisers.
Marco Jansen
The man in form for his side, Marco Jansen is one of the best all-rounders in this format and if the pitch has any support for the fast bowler, he can easily exploit it. Moreover, he is a handy batter at number 7, and if the game is played on the surface with high-scoring runs, his batting could be a vital factor.
Ryan Rickelton
The newest South African superstar, Ryan Rickelton is coming into the SA20 after scoring a terrific double ton against the Pakistan side. He is the man in form for the MI Cape Town and if the surface is a belter for batting, the left-hander could take charge and be the game-changer for his team.
Rashid Khan
The captain of the MI Cape Town is another key player for his side. The surface doesn't matter when Rashid is bowling and teams generally play him in a conservative way which allows him to dominate the proceedings and take wickets. The same could be repeated for the opening contest Vs Sunrisers.
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