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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a month of thrilling action, the two form teams of this season’s SA20 </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will face off in the final on Saturday at The Wanderers in Johannesburg. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MI Cape Town, who booked their spot in the final after a 39-run victory over the Paarl Royals in the first qualifier on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, are currently on a six-match winning streak. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two-time champions the Sunrisers Eastern Cape are on a three-match winning run, with the latest of those matches coming in two successive playoff matches.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sunrisers smashed Paarl Royals by eight wickets in the second qualifier on Thursday night to book their spot in the third final in three seasons of SA20 action.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rise of the men from the Eastern Cape is dramatic, having lost their opening three matches this season, including an opening-day 97-run loss to MI Cape Town.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2581103\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SPCS4342-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1478\" /> <em>Aiden Markram at the crease for Sunrisers Eastern Cape. (Photo: Ron Gaunt / SA20 / Sportzpics)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2581100\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ROY13604.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2318\" height=\"1453\" /> <em>George Linde of MI Cape Town celebrates the wicket of Paarl Royals captain David Miller. (Photo:Shaun Roy / SA20 / Sportzpics)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opening batter Tony de Zorzi, who joined the side more than halfway into the competition, struck an eye-catching 78 off 49 deliveries in his side’s victory over the Paarl Royals. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does he attribute to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s change of fortune?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I can’t really comment on the starting slowly part, but what I can say is that Adi (Birrell) and Aiden (Markram) have a very cool relationship,” he said of the coach and captain. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“They bounce off each other. They’re both very calm individuals. You can never really tell whether we’re winning or under pressure, they’re quite consistent human beings. The rest of the changeroom feeds off that energy.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Because both leaders are calm, they give guys the opportunity to be positive, and not in a fake way, it’s a wholesome way.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The environment created by the team’s leaders, Birrell and Markram, is clearly one that breeds success despite adversity, given that the two have paired up well in all three seasons.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Bat vs ball</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their opposition, MI Cape Town have had their feet up for the past three days as they watched teams battle it out to join them in the final.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Sunrisers’ form has picked up at the back end of the tournament, MI have been dominant throughout, losing only two of their 10 league-phase matches and accumulating 35 points in the process — the most in an SA20 season thus far.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“They’re a really good side,” De Zorzi said of his side’s final opponents. “It seems like most of their batters are in form, but I’ll echo what Aiden said to us the other evening: ‘The tournament starts now.’”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Markram said those words before the Sunrisers faced off and beat Joburg Super Kings by 32 runs in the eliminator on Wednesday night.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2581098\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ROY13304-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1753\" /> <em>MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan celebrates taking the wicket of Tristan Stubbs of Sunrisers Eastern Cape. (Photo:Shaun Roy / SA20 / Sportzpics)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2049688\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ROY053597.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2955\" height=\"1846\" /> <em>Tristan Stubbs of Sunrisers Eastern Cape drives a delivery. (Photo: Sportzpics)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2049686\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ROY046767.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"4350\" height=\"2900\" /> <em>Ottniel Baartman and Tristan Stubbs of Sunrisers Eastern Cape celebrate the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen of Durban Super Giants. (Photo: Sportzpics)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The result of the final will probably be dictated by who rises highest in the Powerplay when Sunrisers Eastern Cape have the ball in hand and MI Cape Town’s openers are in the middle.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton are the second- and fifth-highest run scorers in the tournament this season, while Sunrisers bowler Marco Jansen (17) is the top wicket taker, and Richard Gleeson has also been venomous with the new rock in hand.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It seems everyone is in form in our team with bat and ball and in the field — you can feel it,” De Zorzi said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I wouldn’t really want to be facing Plank (Marco Jansen), (Richard) Gleeson or (Craig) Overton with the new ball. I back those guys, especially in the final. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s going to be exciting. These are the teams that everybody wants to watch in the final.” </span><b>DM</b>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SA20 final gets under way at 5.30pm at The Wanderers Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.</span></i>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a month of thrilling action, the two form teams of this season’s SA20 </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will face off in the final on Saturday at The Wanderers in Johannesburg. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MI Cape Town, who booked their spot in the final after a 39-run victory over the Paarl Royals in the first qualifier on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, are currently on a six-match winning streak. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two-time champions the Sunrisers Eastern Cape are on a three-match winning run, with the latest of those matches coming in two successive playoff matches.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sunrisers smashed Paarl Royals by eight wickets in the second qualifier on Thursday night to book their spot in the third final in three seasons of SA20 action.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rise of the men from the Eastern Cape is dramatic, having lost their opening three matches this season, including an opening-day 97-run loss to MI Cape Town.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2581103\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2581103\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SPCS4342-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1478\" /> <em>Aiden Markram at the crease for Sunrisers Eastern Cape. (Photo: Ron Gaunt / SA20 / Sportzpics)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2581100\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2318\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2581100\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ROY13604.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2318\" height=\"1453\" /> <em>George Linde of MI Cape Town celebrates the wicket of Paarl Royals captain David Miller. (Photo:Shaun Roy / SA20 / Sportzpics)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opening batter Tony de Zorzi, who joined the side more than halfway into the competition, struck an eye-catching 78 off 49 deliveries in his side’s victory over the Paarl Royals. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does he attribute to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s change of fortune?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I can’t really comment on the starting slowly part, but what I can say is that Adi (Birrell) and Aiden (Markram) have a very cool relationship,” he said of the coach and captain. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“They bounce off each other. They’re both very calm individuals. You can never really tell whether we’re winning or under pressure, they’re quite consistent human beings. 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(Photo: Sportzpics)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The result of the final will probably be dictated by who rises highest in the Powerplay when Sunrisers Eastern Cape have the ball in hand and MI Cape Town’s openers are in the middle.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton are the second- and fifth-highest run scorers in the tournament this season, while Sunrisers bowler Marco Jansen (17) is the top wicket taker, and Richard Gleeson has also been venomous with the new rock in hand.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It seems everyone is in form in our team with bat and ball and in the field — you can feel it,” De Zorzi said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I wouldn’t really want to be facing Plank (Marco Jansen), (Richard) Gleeson or (Craig) Overton with the new ball. 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Aiden Markram at the crease for Sunrisers Eastern Cape. (Photo: Ron Gaunt / SA20 / Sportzpics)
George Linde of MI Cape Town celebrates the wicket of Paarl Royals captain David Miller. (Photo:Shaun Roy / SA20 / Sportzpics)
MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan celebrates taking the wicket of Tristan Stubbs of Sunrisers Eastern Cape. (Photo:Shaun Roy / SA20 / Sportzpics)
Tristan Stubbs of Sunrisers Eastern Cape drives a delivery. (Photo: Sportzpics)
Ottniel Baartman and Tristan Stubbs of Sunrisers Eastern Cape celebrate the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen of Durban Super Giants. (Photo: Sportzpics)