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Few matches have gone to the final over, but two of the four that did, involved the highest totals made thus far: the Pretoria Capitals lost by two runs to the Durban Super Giants in the first week when chasing 209, and the Paarl Royals successfully chased down 213 with two balls to spare against the Capitals in Centurion.
Those four totals are the only 200-plus scores in the competition, and with just more than a week to go, this year’s SA20 will struggle to match last season’s sum of 15 totals of 200 or more runs in an innings. In addition, while there were three individual centuries in the first season and four in the second season, the highest score thus far is Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ 97.
Pitches are to blame in one sense, particularly how the conditions change in day-night matches, according to Joburg Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming.
“We have found a distinct difference between the last part of the day and then moving into the evening, even if the wicket is dry [and assists spinners]. Paarl is a good example. It is very dry but then teams are chasing very well in the evening,” said the former New Zealand captain.
Fleming is in his third year as Joburg’s head coach and has experience from working in the IPL, Major League Cricket and The Hundred, and has previously admitted he’s found it challenging compiling a starting team for many venues countrywide because sometimes how a surface looks does not match how it plays.
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