Sunrisers Eastern Cape break Pretoria Capitals’ hearts in thrilling SA20 final
The collapse of almost all of the Pretoria Capitals' top batsmen, except Dewald Brevis, cost the team the 2026 title as SA20 champions on Sunday in Cape Town as, for the second time in four years, they had to watch the Sunrisers Eastern Cape snatch the trophy from them in the last over of a thrilling final.
A sold-out Newlands crowd were treated to entertainment of the highest quality on Sunday night with Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Tristan Stubbs and Matthew Breetzke sharing an unbroken 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket to take their team over the line by six wickets with just four balls to spare.
The heroics were required after Pretoria Capitals’ Dewald Brevis had earlier constructed one of the finest innings the grand old ground at the foot of Table Mountain had witnessed in all its years.
Brevis strode to the crease with the Capitals reduced to 1/2 and immediately launched a counter-attack of the highest quality with the League’s record-signing striking a glorious 101 off 56 balls (8×4, 7×6) to set up his team’s 158/7.
For three quarters of the Sunrisers’ chase it seemed that it was going to be enough to lead the Capitals’ to their maiden Betway SA20 title until the arrival of Stubbs.
The Sunrisers skipper seized the initiative with 21 runs off Gideon Peters’ 18th over to breathe life into the chase.
The Newlands crowd was now on the edge of their seats as they sensed that something special was to unfold with 12 runs following off Lungi Ngidi’s penultimate over before Stubbs delivered the coup de grâce with two consecutive sixes off Bryce Parsons to send the Sunrisers into seventh heaven.
The Capitals have now lost two finals to the Sunrisers after their defeat in the inaugural showpiece back in 2023, and captain Keshav Maharaj admitted the pain of the defeat will sting for some time to come.
Brevis did have a consolation prize when he received the “It’s raining sixes” award at the Season Awards after the final for the player who hit the most sixes during the tournament. He was the only Capitals player to walk away with one of the awards.
The full awards were as follows:
- BETWAY PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Quinton de Kock (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
- BATTER OF THE SEASON: Quinton de Kock (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
- BOWLER OF THE SEASON: Ottneil Baartman (Paarl Royals)
- RISING STAR OF THE SEASON: Jordan Hermann (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
- ABSA MONEYBALL SAVER OF THE SEASON: Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
- ITS RAINING SIXES: Dewald Brevis (Pretoria Capitals)
- SPIRIT OF CRICKET: Sunrisers Eastern Cape
- GROUNDSMAN OF THE YEAR: Braam Mong (Newlands)
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
