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Sunrisers Eastern Cape enter this clash as form team and favourites, while Paarl Royals are desperate to hit reset after a tough start to the season. With contrasting momentum and a seamer-friendly St George’s Park on offer, this shapes as a high-intensity SA20 contest.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape have begun SA20 2025-26 with two wins in two games and sit at the top of the table, reflecting a well-rounded, in-form unit. Paarl Royals have played just one game and were thrashed by Sunrisers earlier in the tournament, leaving them at the bottom and under early pressure. Eastern Cape also dominated the head-to-head earlier this season with a massive 137-run victory, a result that will strongly influence both confidence and tactics in this game.
SEC vs PR, SA20 2025-26: Match details
- Date and Time: December 31 (Wednesday); 04:30 pm IST / 11:00 pm GMT / 1:00 pm Local
- Venue: St George’s Park, Gqeberha
SEC vs PR, Head-to-Head Record in SA20:
Matches played: 7 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape won: 5 | Paarl Royals won: 2 | No result/Tied: 0
St George’s Park Pitch Report
St George’s Park in Gqeberha is expected to favour the bowlers, especially the fast men, much like what has been seen in recent SA20 matches. The pitch generally offers good pace and bounce with a bit of seam movement early on, allowing pacers to make an impact in the opening overs. Spinners have had a tougher time here, with quick bowlers picking up the bulk of the wickets.
Batters will need to spend some time at the crease and play with patience early, as the new ball can be tricky. While the short boundaries can help power-hitters cash in later in the innings, the surface tends to slow down in the middle overs, and the slightly low bounce can often lead to sudden batting collapses. With dew expected to set in during tomorrow evening, conditions could become even more challenging and play a decisive role in the match.
Squads
Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Jonny Bairstow, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tristan Stubbs (c), Lewis Gregory, Matthew Breetzke, Marco Jansen, Patrick Kruger, Senuran Muthusamy, Adam Milne, Anrich Nortje, Chris Wood, Allah Ghazanfar, JP King, Christopher King, Jordan Hermann, Mitchell Van Buuren, Tharindu Rathnayake, James Coles, Beyers Swanepoel, Lutho Sipamla
Paarl Royals: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Vishen Halambage, Rubin Hermann, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Asa Tribe, David Miller (c), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman, Dan Lawrence, Sikandar Raza, Gudakesh Motie, Hardus Viljoen, Okuhle Cele, Nqabayomzi Peter, Eshan Malinga, Keagan Lion Cachet, Thomas Rew
Also READ: Sunrisers Eastern Cape skittle Paarl Royals for SA20’s lowest-ever total in one-sided win
SEC vs PR, SA20 2025-26: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape wins the toss and bowls first
- Paarl Royals’ powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
- Paarl Royals’ total score: 165-175
Case 2:
- Paarl Royals wins the toss and bowls first
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s powerplay score: 55-65 (6 overs)
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s total score: 170-180
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest
Also READ: SA20 2026:Full list of commentators and presenters at South Africa’s explosive T20 cricket league
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