Sunrisers Eastern Cape wary of spin threat ahead of MI Cape Town rematch

The Sunrisers Eastern Cape coach has acknowledged the club's unmatched record in the SA20, while emphasising their ambition to continue "pushing the envelope" as they host MI Cape Town at St George’s Park on Sunday.

The Gqeberha-based side has operated at a different level throughout the competition's history. Having reached three consecutive finals, they now have the opportunity to secure a fourth showpiece appearance in as many seasons. With two SA20 trophies and a runners-up medal already housed at St George’s Park, coach Adrian Birrell expressed pride in an achievement he attributes to the calibre of the squads they have assembled.

“I think we’ve had good sides. In the first three years, we had a nice style of play. It paid dividends, and we reached the finals three times. We're very proud of that record,” Birrell said.

“We are in the play-offs again. We didn't play particularly well today, but we have reached the knockouts with two games to spare. It was quite comforting qualifying early rather than having to scrap in the final game. It's gone well over the four years. We are ambitious and would like to secure a top-two finish with a win on Sunday, play in that qualifier, and then reach the final. That's the goal.”

Heading into Sunday’s clash against the defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape still have plenty at stake. A top-two finish would provide a more direct route to the final via Qualifier 1, avoiding the jeopardy of the Eliminator and the subsequent Qualifier 2. Conversely, MI Cape Town are fighting simply to sneak into the play-offs, with no mathematical chance of reaching the top two.

Reflecting on Friday night’s thrilling three-wicket loss to the same opponents, Birrell admitted his side failed to fire with the bat.

“I don't think we batted particularly well; we didn't build partnerships, as I alluded to earlier. We found it difficult to get going, and I think spin was a factor,” Birrell noted. “The spin played a role for both sides. I know we didn't bowl our full quota of spin, but I thought their spinners did quite well to peg us back and prevent us from getting those big overs needed to shift the momentum.”

The clash between the two sides is scheduled for 3:30 pm.