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Paarl Royals host MI Cape Town in a crucial early-season SA20 clash at Boland Park, where home advantage and conditions could be decisive in what shapes as a tight contest. Both teams are searching for consistency after mixed starts to the SA20 2025-26 campaign, making this fixture important for momentum and table position. Paarl Royals bounced back from a 137-run hammering against Sunrisers Eastern Cape with a composed five-wicket win in the return fixture, easing nerves in their camp. MI Cape Town sit near the bottom after two outings, leaking 232 and 220 runs in their first two games, with their bowling under particular scrutiny.
Royals’ batting revolves around David Miller’s experience in the middle order, with young opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius giving them much-needed impetus at the top after a slow start to the tournament. MI Cape Town’s strength is their top four: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks and Nicholas Pooran, who can take the game away if they see off the powerplay. The contest between Paarl’s spin-heavy attack featuring Bjorn Fortuin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and MI Cape Town’s aggressive middle order led by Pooran, could define the game on a surface that rewards variation and accuracy.
PR vs MICT, SA20 2025-26: Match details
- Date and Time: January 2 (Friday); 9:00 pm IST / 03:30 pm GMT / 5:30 pm Local
- Venue: Boland Park, Paarl
PR vs MICT, Head-to-Head Record in SA20 2025-26:
Matches played: 7 | Paarl Royals won: 5 | MI Cape Town won: 2 | No result/Tied: 0
Boland Park Ground Pitch Report
Boland Park is traditionally on the slower side, with a balanced surface where cutters, slower balls and spin come into play as the match progresses. Recent SA20 numbers at Paarl show average first-innings scores hovering around the mid-150s to high-150s, suggesting 160–170 should be a competitive total rather than the 200-plus scores seen at high-scoring venues. Under lights, the new ball can nip around for 4–5 overs before the surface grips, so top orders will need to survive the early movement before accessing the shorter square boundaries.
Squads:
Paarl Royals: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dan Lawrence, Kyle Verreynne (wk), David Miller (c), Rubin Hermann, Sikandar Raza, Gudakesh Motie, Ottneil Baartman, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hardus Viljoen, Okuhle Cele, Delano Potgieter, Nqabayomzi Peter, Asa Tribe, Eshan Malinga, Vishen Halambage, Nqobani Mokoena, Keagan Lion Cachet, Thomas Rew
MI Cape Town: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Nicholas Pooran, George Linde, Jason Smith, Dwaine Pretorius, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan (c), Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Dane Piedt, Tom Moores, Karim Janat, Thomas Kaber, Jacques Snyman, Tiaan van Vuuren, Tristan Luus, Daniel Lategan
Also WATCH: Dewald Brevis and Sherfane Rutherford unleash a flurry of sixes on MI Cape Town bowlers in SA20 2025-26
PR vs MICT, SA20 2025-26: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Paarl Royals wins the toss and bowls first
- MI Cape Town powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
- MI Cape Town total score: 165-175
Case 2:
- MI Cape Town wins the toss and bowls first
- Paarl Royals’ powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
- Paarl Royals’ total score: 150-160
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest
Also READ: Sunrisers Eastern Cape skittle Paarl Royals for SA20’s lowest-ever total in one-sided win
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