St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report For SEC vs PR SA20 2025 Match

Jatin

St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]

The business end of SA20 2025 is here and every game carries weight. Match 28 sees Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) lock horns with table-toppers Paarl Royals (PR) at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Saturday, February 1.

With both teams coming off defeats, there’s plenty at stake. SEC need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive while PR might look to tinker with their playing XI, having already booked their spot in the knockouts.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have had a topsy-turvy ride this season. After a horrendous start with three straight losses, they found their groove and stitched together four wins on the bounce. Just when it seemed like the defending champions were back in business, two more losses dented their campaign. 

Their latest outing was a forgettable one—bowled out for 107 against MI Cape Town, before watching the opposition chase it down without breaking a sweat. David Bedingham’s 45 was the only silver lining in an otherwise disastrous outing. The bowlers had no answers, and the 10-wicket drubbing left them licking their wounds. But champions don’t go down without a fight, and SEC will be itching to bounce back.

Paarl Royals

On the other hand, Paarl Royals have been in red-hot form. With seven wins from nine matches, they’ve been the team to beat this season and are at the top of the SA20 points table. Their only concern? A minor stumble in the last game, where Joburg Super Kings handed them a seven-wicket defeat. Despite Dinesh Karthik’s gritty 53, PR could only manage 150/9, a total that JSK chased down with ease. However, with a playoff spot secured, they might choose to shuffle their deck, give some benchwarmers a go, and test out different combinations. But make no mistake, even a second-string PR side is a force to be reckoned with.

St George's Park Gqeberha Stats And Records In SA20 2025

Criterion
Data
Matches Played4
Matches Won Batting 1st3
Matches Won Bowling 1st1
Average 1st Innings Score150.7
Average 2nd Innings Score110.5



St George’s Park Gqeberha Pitch Report Is It Batting Or Bowling Friendly?

The St George’s Park track has been tricky to read this season. The average first-innings total here in SA20 2025 stands at 150.7, suggesting that batters have had to work for their runs. Stroke play isn’t straightforward, and spending time at the crease is key. The surface offers good pace and bounce, meaning fast bowlers who hit the deck hard will enjoy themselves. Spinners, however, might find the going tough. History suggests that batting first could be the way to go, as three out of four matches here have been won by teams setting a target. Given how the pitch tends to deteriorate, the captain winning the toss might opt to bat first and put scoreboard pressure on the opposition.

Players To Watch Out For At St George’s Park

Lhuan Dre Pretorius

  • Lhuan Dre Pretorius has been a rock at the top of the order for Paarl Royals this season. The leading run-scorer of SA20 2025, he has stacked up a mammoth 320 runs in just nine innings. And he hasn’t just accumulated runs, he has done it at a staggering strike rate of 172.04. 
  • With two fifties under his belt, Pretorius has been a nightmare for bowlers. His ability to switch gears effortlessly makes him a complete package. If SEC wants to keep PR in check, they need to find a way to send Pretorius back to the hut early, or he might take the game away in a blink.

Marco Jansen

  • Marco Jansen has been one of the shining lights for SEC in an otherwise inconsistent campaign. With 171 runs and 12 wickets to his name, he has done a bit of everything. When he has the bat in hand, he isn’t afraid to take on the bowlers. His 51 earlier in the season was proof of his striking ability. 
  • And with the ball, he knows how to use his height to generate awkward bounce. His best figures of 4/13 show what he is capable of when he gets into rhythm. SEC will need their lanky all-rounder to deliver the goods if they are to stay alive in the tournament.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

  • While spinners haven’t had the best time at St George’s Park, Mujeeb Ur Rahman is not your average tweaker. With 14 wickets in nine matches, he has made a habit of deceiving batters with his variations and is leading wicket taker of SA20 2025. His economy of 6.58 shows that he isn’t just a wicket-taker but also someone who puts the brakes on scoring. 
  • Batters struggle to pick his carrom ball, and when he gets it right, he is virtually unplayable. SEC’s middle order will have to be on their toes when Mujeeb comes into the attack. One lapse in judgment, and he will make them pay.