SA20, known as the Betway SA20 for sponsorship reasons, is a Twenty20 franchise cricket tournament in South Africa, organised by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and first contested during the 2022–23 season.[1][2] It is contested by six teams based in cities around the country.[3] [4] Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the first two editions of the tournament.
 | |
| Countries | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Cricket South Africa |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2023 |
| Latest edition | 2024 |
| Next edition | 2025 |
| Tournament format | Round-robin and playoffs |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Current champion | Sunrisers Eastern Cape (2nd title) |
| Most successful | Sunrisers Eastern Cape (2 titles) |
| Most runs | Heinrich Klaasen (810) |
| Most wickets | Ottniel Baartman (30) |
| TV | SuperSport (South Africa) Sports18 (India) Sky Sports (England) Jio Cinema (India) (internet) Fox Sports (Australia) Willow TV (USA) |
| Website | www |
History
editCricket South Africa established the franchise T20 Global League in 2017. The inaugural season was deferred by a year due to the lack of a broadcast deal and title sponsor and in June 2018 was replaced by the Mzansi Super League, a league featuring six CSA-owned teams.[5] Both the leagues became unsuccessful.[6] The MSL ran for only two seasons, the 2020 and 2021 editions being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SA20 was established by CSA in 2022 through a newly formed entity, Africa Cricket Development (Pty) Limited (ACD). CSA is the majority stakeholder in ACD with a 50% share, while broadcaster SuperSport has a 30% share and former Indian Premier League (IPL) Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman, the remaining 20%.[7] All six of the teams were bought by franchises from the IPL.[8] In July 2022, CSA announced that the One Day International series against Australia due to be played in January 2023 would be cancelled in order for SA20 to go ahead.[9]
In August 2022, Graeme Smith was announced as the commissioner for the tournament.[10] Later in the month, the marquee players for the first season were announced.[3]
In December 2023 Cricket South Africa announced that it would send a makeshift Test team, comprising players with little or no Test cricket experience, to its scheduled two-Test tour of New Zealand in February 2024, to allow its best players to remain in South Africa to compete in the SA20. The decision was widely criticised.[11] [12]
Organisation
editThe six teams play each other twice in the group stages of the competition before the top four sides move to the semi-final stages.[13]
Teams acquire players through an auction as opposed to a draft, making it the second cricket league in the world after the Indian Premier League to do so. Each team purchases a squad of 17 players, with the opportunity of signing up to five players prior to the auction: three international players; one South African international player; and one uncapped South African player.[14][15]
Teams
editThe six teams are all owned by existing Indian Premier League franchise owners, just like the franchises of the Caribbean Premier League.[16]
Tournament season and results
editNumber of titles
edit| Team | Title(s) | Runner-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up | No. of seasons played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | 2 | – | 2023, 2024 | – | 2 |
| Pretoria Capitals | – | 1 | – | 2023 | |
| Durban's Super Giants | 2024 | ||||
| Joburg Super Kings | – | – | |||
| Paarl Royals | |||||
| MI Cape Town |
Finals
edit| Season | Winner | Winning margin | Runner-up | Final venue | Player of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape 137/6 (16.2 overs) |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 4 wickets Scorecard |
Pretoria Capitals 135 (19.3 overs) |
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Aiden Markram (SEC) |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape 204/3 (20 overs) |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 89 runs Scorecard |
Durban's Super Giants 115 (17 overs) |
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | Heinrich Klaasen (DSG) |
| 2025 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
Teams' performances
edit| Season | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durban's Super Giants | 5th | RU | |
| Joburg Super Kings | SF | PO | |
| MI Cape Town | 6th | 6th | |
| Paarl Royals | SF | PO | |
| Pretoria Capitals | RU | 5th | |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | C | C |
- C: champions
- RU: runner-up
- SF or PO: team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition
Prize money
editCricket South Africa increased the prize money for the SA20 to a total of $890,000 . The prize money will be split between the teams as follows:[17]
The total prize money in the South Africa T20 League for the year 2024 SA20 season, a total prize money of 70 million Rand was awarded.
Ground
edit| South Africa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Durban | Johannesburg |
| Newlands Cricket Ground | Kingsmead Cricket Ground | Wanderers Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 34,000 |
|
|
|
| Paarl | Centurion | Gqeberha |
| Boland Park | Centurion Park | St George's Park Cricket Ground |
| Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 22,000 | Capacity: 19,000 |
|
|
|
Broadcasting
editSuperSport, Sky Sports and the Sports18 network broadcast the tournament in South Africa, the United Kingdom and India respectively.
As of January 2023[update], Betway SA20 and Sky Sports have a five-year contract to broadcast the T20 cricket league.[18]
Records and statistics
edit| Batting Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Most runs | Heinrich Klaasen | 810 |
| Highest average | Tom Abell | 54.33 |
| Highest score | Kyle Verreynne | 116* vs MI Cape Town (1 February 2024) |
| Most sixes | Heinrich Klaasen | 54 |
| Bowling Records | ||
| Most wickets | Ottniel Baartman | 30 |
| Best strike rate | Colin Ackermann | 6.00 |
| Best economy rate | Rilee Rossouw | 3.00 |
| Fielding | ||
| Most dismissals (wicket-keeper) | Jos Buttler | 19 |
| Most catches (fielder) | Will Jacks | 14 |
| Team Records | ||
| Highest total | Durban's Super Giants | 254–4 (20) vs Pretoria Capitals (5 February 2023) |
| Lowest total | Pretoria Capitals | 52 (13.3) vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape (22 January 2024) |
Last updated on 6 May 2024
References
edit- ^ "Cricket South Africa announces new six-team franchise-based T20 competition". ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^ "T20 COMES HOME AS CSA AND SUPERSPORT ANNOUNCE GRAND NEW EVENT". Cricket South Africa.
- ^ a b "CSA T20 League 2023: List of players signed up for the first edition". Wisden. 12 August 2022.
- ^ "CSA T20 league to be called 'SA20'; player auction to be held on September 19". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Haroon Lorgat calls for independent inquiry into 'collapsed' T20 Global League". Hindustan Times. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "The SA20 player auction: all you need to know". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ "CSA confident of seeing off legal challenge to new T20 league". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "CSK, Mumbai Indians interested in buying franchises in South Africa's new T20 league". ESPN Cricinfo. 13 August 2022.
- ^ "South Africa's men's cricket team withdraws from three-match ODI series against Australia in January". ABC News. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "Graeme Smith Named as Commissioner for CSA's New T20 league". Times of Sports. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "A South Africa Test squad with just seven capped players". ESPN cricinfo. 30 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "South African cricket's Faustian pact keeps the lights on, but at a price". The Guardian. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "SA20 2022/23 Table, Matches, win, loss, points for SA20". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Cricket South Africa | GLOBAL CRICKET SUPERSTAR LINED UP FOR SOUTH AFRICA T20 LEAGUE". Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "CSA T20 league: Livingstone and Buttler in top salary bracket as England, SA players hit paydirt". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "IPL franchise owners buy all six teams in South Africa's new T20 league". ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^ Sagar, Singh (11 February 2024). "SA20 2024 Winner Prize Money, Complete List of Award-Winners, Top Records & Stats All You Need To Know". CricTracker. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Sky Sports to broadcast SA20". Super Sports. 9 January 2023.