Photo Credit: SA20 League
Betway SA20 young guns Tristan Stubbs, Gerald Coetzee and Dewald Brevis significantly enhanced their reputations in the recently concluded South Africa ‘A’ series victory over Sri Lanka ‘A’.
The trio all made valuable contributions across the three-match series which the visitors ultimately won 2-1.
Brevis was first out of the blocks in the opening unofficial ODI at Pallekele when the MI Cape Town opener blasted an unbeaten 98 to guide South Africa ‘A’ to a successful chase of 268 from the unconventional No 7 position.
The South Africans unfortunately went down in the second match to the hosts, but not before both Stubbs and Coetzee showed their value.
Coetzee, in particular, surprised all and sundry with a career-best 77 after the top-order had failed.
The Joburg Super Kings fast bowler showed off his potential with the bat that was seen in short bursts during the Betway SA20.
Coetzee followed up his batting heroics with a five-wicket haul in the series decider on Thursday that showed that he had the ability to develop into a world-class all-rounder.
“I batted in the top order my entire school career. It was only when I started playing SA U19 that I moved down the order. I have always enjoyed my batting. It really is something I like doing,” Coetzee said from Sri Lanka this week.
“Maybe at the start of my career, I did not work on it as I should have. But lately I have been spending a lot more time on it. I have worked with Albie (Morkel) at the Joburg Super Kings, Justin Sammons, my school coach and also (Paarl Royals coach) JP Duminy on my batting. I really want to be an all-rounder.”
Stubbs, meanwhile, was equally impressive in the last two matches with the 21-year-old striking consecutive half-centuries.
Renowned for his impressive big-hitting that earned the rookie a multi-million rand deal with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at the inaugural Betway SA20 auction, Stubbs showed great maturity in Sri Lanka as he scored a series aggregate of 117 runs under immense pressure.
He was particularly good in the series-decider where he struck an unbeaten 58 on a turning pitch to guide the tourists home by five wickets.
In both matches he was also able to form solid partnerships of 111 for the eighth wicket with Coetzee and also an unbroken 74-run stand with Pretoria Capitals all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy (45 not out).
Name of Author: SA20 League
SA20, officially known as the Betway SA20 for sponsorship reasons, is a Twenty20 franchise cricket tournament in South Africa organized by Cricket South Africa (CSA). First held in the 2023 season, the league features six city-based teams. Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the first two editions of the tournament.
