Tristan Stubbs and Matthew Breetzke put up a brilliant batting effort in a nail-biting SA20 final against Pretoria Capitals as Sunrisers Eastern Cape clinched the title for the third time on Sunday, January 25. The duo Tristan Stubbs and Matthew Breetzke put up a stellar unbeaten 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket as SEC chased down 159 in the final over of the clash at Cape Town.
The SEC were in trouble in the final against the Capitals as they were reeling at 48/4 after 8.4 overs. Breetzke, who had scored two fifties in the tournament leading to the final, stood up tall in the showdown clash along with Tristan Stubbs, who was long due for a notable knock. Having earned a call-up for the T20 World Cup 2026, Tristan Stubbs scored a brilliant 63 off 41 balls and hit the winning two sixes in the last over to take his team home.
Matthew Breetzke played an instrumental role too as he made an unbeaten 68 from 49 deliveries with two sixes and a four and provided the much-needed stabilisation that the chase needed. Dewald Brevis smashed seven sixes in an innings of 101 from 56 balls but it was in vain as the Sunrisers Eastern Cape completed a six-wicket win over the Pretoria Capitals to lift the SA20 trophy for the third time in four years at Newlands on Sunday.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : It is fantastic from out here in the middle. It’s a great day and a lovely day for it. Generally, on finals day, what you want is a strip that’s going to be pretty good. Braam Mong here at Newlands is the groundsman of the year, so that’s a feather in the cap, and what he’ll be hoping is that this plays like a champion wicket because the final counts and everybody remembers the final. Averages are great because they average themselves out over a whole load of games, but the mental psyche of a player is key – some players excel on days like this and some go into their shell.
When you look back at your career, you always think about the finals you’ve played. Making finals is one thing, making them count is another, and sometimes this can be the only final you play in your whole career. This is super important for batters and bowlers. It (the surface) looks okay, it doesn’t look amazing, but we hope it plays better than it looks and fits the occasion.,reckons  Pommie Mbangwa and Kevin Pietersen in their pitch report.
Toss : Sunrisers Eastern Cape skipper Tristan Stubbs won the toss and have opted to field with no changes in the Playing XI. Pretoria Capitals skipper Keshav Maharaj batting first also made no changes in the Playing XI.
 Dewald Brevis’s powerful century powers PC to 158 for 7 in 20 overs
Dewald Brevis underscored his status as the league’s most paid player by slamming a 56-ball 101 after the Capitals were asked to bat first. But it was another key contribution from Marco Jansen, who bowled as many as 15 dot balls, in his four overs to take 3 for 10 that ultimately kept the Sunrisers not too far away from a win even when their top-order floundered in chase.
Jansen though needed a few deliveries to find his rhythm. He sent a couple of wayward balls down the legside before coaxing Connor Esterhuizen into edging a full ball in the corridor. The Capitals stumbled to 1 for 2 in the next over when Shai Hope chipped a simple catch to Jonny Bairstow at cover off Lutho Sipamla. Though Dewald Brevis began his counter-attack in Sipamla’s next, cracking three boundaries off the seamer, it wasn’t until the final over of the PowerPlay that the Capitals’ scoring rate crawled past six.
After Tristan Stubbs chose to bowl first up, SEC made good on their captain’s decision within seven balls. Jansen started well with no runs from his first three balls and then angled one across Connor Esterhuizen and found the outside edge and James Coles took the catch at slip. At the start of the next over, Shai Hope hit a Lutho Sipamla ball in the air, when he should have played along the ground, and he was caught at cover. PC were 1 for 2 after 1.1 overs and in desperate need of a recovery.
But the introduction of James Coles proved a misstep from Stubbs as Brevis plundered 20 from the left-arm spinner, bludgeoning drives through the off-side ring and depositing sixes over square leg and long-off with casual violence. With Dewald Brevis flying through a 49-run PowerPlay, Bryce Parsons could dig in and anchor one end, though the need for such restraint in modern T20 remains debatable.
The league’s most expensive buy peaked at the right time as Brevis followed up his 53 in the final league game against Joburg Super Kings with 75 not out in Qualifier 1 and then the 101 in the final, saving his best for the last. He started with a finesse-filled flick off the pads for four, then struck three boundaries off Sipamla’s second over, which cost 12, and then plundered 20 off Coles as PC finished the powerplay on 49 for 2. The Newlands crowd had to wait until the 10th over to see the no-look six, Brevis’ fourth, which came after he had reached his 50 off 26 balls
Parsons managed a pair of fours and a six in his run-a-ball 30, but the 96-run third-wicket stand belonged entirely to Brevis, who simply refused to let the spinners settle. Even a toe-ended mishit sailed over long-on for six as he brought up a 26-ball half-century. Sunrisers finally broke through when Parsons was caught short by a flat throw from Breetzke in the deep. The Capitals lost Jordan Cox to another run-out in the next over, the 14th of the innings, but those twin dismissals couldn’t slow Brevis, who launched James Coles inside-out over extra cover for an 86-metre six that carried him past 80.
Sherfane Rutherford started brilliantly, slogging Chris Green for two sixes before falling to the excellent Anrich Nortje for an 11-ball 17. Brevis reached his century in the 18th over, swinging the 53rd ball he faced for his seventh six, this one over mid-wicket via a top-edge. As soon as he saw the ball evade the fielder, the 22-year-old unleashed an almighty roar to mark the moment.
His biggest hit was the 97-metre cracker over long-on off Senuran Muthusamy but his best – for significance, not quality – was the almost top-edge that cleared deep square and brought up his first SA20 hundred. Brevis’ celebration was elaborate, as he ran the length of the pitch, gestured to all in the ground and then looked skywards and prayed. He was out in the next over but his 101 was PC’s most important hand.
In the context of the match, in context of the state he walked in, it was monumental. At that stage, the Capitals looked destined for a score well beyond 180, but Jansen had other ideas. He produced a sensational 19th over – a double-wicket maiden – to finish with figures of 3 for 10 while Nortje followed with just two runs in the 20th over to restrict the Capitals to 158.
The tame finish meant Dewald Brevis had scored 101 off 56 while the rest of the Capitals batters managed only 55 off 64 between them. On most days in modern T20, that statistic becomes a dissection point, and so it proved to be.
Skipper Tristan Stubbs and Matthew Breetzke’s powerful half centuries powers SEC to 3rd title in SA 20
With a relatively modest score to defend, PC needed a breakthrough as soon as they could get one and it took Lungi Ngidi the same number of balls as Jansen to get it. Ngidi’s first ball was full and inviting, and Quinton de Kock drove him down the ground for four, his second was shorter and cut away but was prevented from going to the boundary, and this third was closer to the mark and punched into the covers for one.
That brought Jonny Bairstow on strike for the delivery Ngidi got absolutely right. He pitched it on a length, it shaped it away and took Bairstow’s outside edge to give Hope a regulation catch. SEC were 5 for 1 in the first and the chase started tensely.
With de Kock dismissed on the last ball of the powerplay, PC had the perfect opportunity to squeeze with their spinners on a surface that seemed to be slowing up. Keshav Maharaj brought himself on and raced through an over that cost four runs before Roston Chase took over from the other end. Frustrated by a lack of big shots, Jordan Hermann advanced on Chase and tried to launch him over long-on but could only get the ball as far as Jordon Cox at long-off.
In the next over, Coles, who played a crucial hand with 45 not out in the second qualifier, tried to flick Maharaj leg side but popped a leading edge up to Chase in the covers. Between them, Maharaj and Chase bowled six overs in tandem, conceded 33 runs and took two wickets to take SEC from 39 for 2 after six overs to 72 for 4 after 12. They needed 87 to win from 48 balls, and the target seemed far away before Breetzke and Stubbs got together to finish it off.
In the closest of the four finals played to date, PC had one hand on the trophy when they reduced SEC to 48 for 4 in the ninth over and caused the required run-rate to balloon to 14 runs an over by the end of the 16th. But Breetzke and Stubbs prised PC’s fingers off in the final exchanges with a record stand for SEC to seal a memorable win.
Going into the final four overs, SEC needed 56 to win, but crucially, the two Capitals spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Roston Chase, whose eight combined overs had yielded just 50 runs, were done. Capitals skipper Maharaj had to roll the dice, forced to squeeze two overs from either Gideon Peters or Bryce Parsons. Stubbs and Breetzke bided their time, waiting for those moments. But they couldn’t afford to leave too much behind. To that end, the 17th over from Lizaad Williams proved pivotal. Breetzke found a couple of boundaries while Stubbs chipped in with another, tilting the scales ever so slightly.
Breetzke, on 45, began the charge when he lofted Lizaad Williams over mid-off for a boundary off the second ball of Williams’ final over. He then gave strike to Tristan Stubbs, who hit Williams over extra cover and passed the strike back. Breetzke finished the over with a four through square leg to take 14 runs off Williams and reduce the equation to 42 needed from the last three overs.
The 18th over began with four leg byes before Tristan Stubbs reverse-swept Gideon Peters over short third for four, then Peters bowled a wide and a no-ball and the free hit went for six. His over cost 21 and SEC needed 21 from the last two. Lungi Ngidi’s final over cost 12 before Tristan Stubbs’ slammed back to back sixes to finish the match with four balls to spare.
Now under pressure, Peters crumbled in the 18th, abandoning the shorter lengths and off-pace variations that had strangled batters all chase. Instead he went full and fast, and the boundaries began to leak. Between them came wides and no-balls, even a dropped catch. The 21-run over meant only 21 were needed from the final two.
Lungi Ngidi conceded 12 in the penultimate over, including a last-ball inside edge that raced to the boundary. That left the Capitals with just nine to defend in the final over, and even reverting to spinner Parsons proved futile as captain Stubbs clubbed back-to-back sixes, ensuring that his first half-century of the tournament came on the biggest stage and led to a trophy.
Tristan Stubbs’ performance was particularly notable, given his call-up to South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad, and his struggle for form throughout 2025. His 63 not out was his first half-century in the format in 51 innings since his 76 against West Indies in August 2024.
The sensational finish to the match overshadowed two other performances in the first half. Dewald Brevis underscored his status as the league’s most paid player by slamming a 56-ball 101 after the Capitals were asked to bat first. But it was another key contribution from Marco Jansen, who bowled as many as 15 dot balls, in his four overs to take 3 for 10 that ultimately kept the Sunrisers not too far away from a win even when their top-order floundered in chase.
Presentations and Takeaways
Keshav Maharaj the loosing PC skipper said : Disappointing to say the least. Two batters were in and got set. Have had great supports from the crowds. Has been a topsy turvy season. You feel the hurt of coming so close. The starts we get from both bat and ball is something we have to look at.
Boys will hurt for a bit. 60 in 4 is not something that is chased down in this sort of situation. Just proves you can never take it for granted in T20. I’m not someone who dwells on the negatives. But we have to rectify the mistakes if we have to win trophies as a unit.
Dewald Brevis Player of the Match for his brilliant century said : Bit disappointed but proud of everyone. We had a great season. Finals are about moments and they were above us in those moments. We’ll be stronger next time. It’s not me, it’s God that blessed me to do stuff like that. We have a great support staff. Sourav stuff helped me with a few pointers. This last few games were fun, great situations, every situation was different. It’s just playing the ball on merit and being in the moment.
Quinton De Kock Player of the Series said : Have had a great season. Knew we had a great team on and off the field. Fought really hard for the trophy today. Some of the youngsters showed some big grit. It’s Tristan’s first time captaining so he was always going to need my help. Was just helping. My two year retirement did me well, I was happy to be back and happy to be playing cricket again for the country.
Ottniel Baartmaan Bowler of the Series said : PR was a special place, special group of players, enjoyed my time there but have now found a new home. Have tried to lead the attack from a bowling point of view.
Jordan Hermann Rising Star of the Season said : Extremely proud. To put a good season together, I’m extremely chuffed. Can’t say anything, he was above me last year, so it’s equal now. The team is unbelievable.
Tristan Stubbs the Final winning SEC skipper said : Â So stoked, can’t explain it. Don’t know what we did or how we did it. Me and Matty out there, we were calm but probably were panicking too (laughs). We know we bat so well together. Kept looking for an over to get momentum. Came in the 16th over and we ran with it. Funny things happen under pressure. Have really enjoyed this month. Have had a great group to work with.
We plan really well for games. Me and Quinny have this great thing going where we chat about bowling changes. We keep it simple. It’s a great run management by Aidi (coach Adrian) and the team. And we have a good Orange Army that backs us wherever we go.
It was a day draped in orange, a day for franchises in different parts of the southern hemisphere to extend their dynasties. Hours after Perth Scorchers lifted a sixth BBL title, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape claimed their third SA20 crown from four finals, subduing the Pretoria Capitals in a thriller at Newlands. Leading the Sunrisers through a treacherous chase of 157 were two sons of the Eastern Cape – Tristan Stubbs (63* off 41) and Matthew Breetzke (68* off 49) – who struck half-centuries in a blistering 114-run stand off just 64 deliveries, turbocharging a chase that had spent most of its runtime mired in quicksand.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) won a third SA20 title in four years with a stunning six-wicket win over Pretoria Capitals (PC) at Newlands. A 114-run unbeaten fifth-wicket stand between Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs, both of whom went on to make half-centuries, trumped Dewald Brevis’ 101, the lone-hand for PC who only scored 158.
In the closest of the four finals played to date, PC had one hand on the trophy when they reduced SEC to 48 for 4 in the ninth over and caused the required run-rate to balloon to 14 runs an over by the end of the 16th. But Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs prised PC’s fingers off in the final exchanges with a record stand for SEC to seal a memorable win.
Phew what a match! Sunrisers were behind the rate for the majority of that chase but they’ve come from behind to pull it off in the final over. On the face of it, 159 didn’t seem like a huge target but the pitch was a challenging one with the ball holding and gripping, and the Capitals had things well under control. But come the last four overs, the game turned dramatically with Tristan Stubbs and Breetzke going berserk, having bided their time and taken the game deep.
They came together at 48/4 in the 9th over and didn’t try anything fancy at the start of their innings. Just wanted to give themselves a chance in the final few overs. That they did and everything came together beautifully in the end, taking Sunrisers to their third trophy in four editions. Spare a thought for Capitals and for Dewald Brevis who made a sensational hundred on a pitch where everyone else struggled.
Four seasons. Four finals. Three titles: What is it that the Sunrisers Eastern Cape have that the other franchises in this SA20 league seem to lack? When the Sunrisers released the league’s most successful captain, Aiden Markram, ahead of the 2025 auction, few would have predicted a top-of-the-table finish. On paper, they certainly had experience – Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, Tristan Stubbs, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen and Chris Green are all seasoned T20 campaigners.
But what truly worked in their favour was the way the lesser-experienced players – Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Hermann and James Coles – rose to the occasion at different moments through the season. Earlier today, they looked down and out as Dewald Brevis was nailing them to all corners. Yet, just when the game appeared to be slipping away, South Africa’s experienced pace duo, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje, decisively turned it back in Sunrisers’ favour. The pair conceded just three runs in the final two overs – including a stunning double-wicket maiden – swinging the momentum in dramatic fashion.
And consider this: just two weeks into the tournament, having been appointed captain, Tristan Stubbs receives the news that he has been dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. Although he later replaced the injured de Zorzi in the World Cup, Stubbs could not have chosen a better stage or moment to underline his credentials – both as a player and as a leader. He struggled for timing early on, but showed immense composure, stayed the course, and sealed the game with two mighty sixes.
Then there’s head coach Adrian Birrell. The entire Sunrisers setup has consistently credited their success to him. A man of few words and decisive action, Birrell’s calm authority seems to define this franchise. And perhaps that tells you everything you need to know about the Sunrisers Eastern Cape – a team built not just on talent, but on belief, timing, and the ability to deliver when it matters most.
Tristan Stubbs receives the trophy and hoists it along with his group of players. What a unit they have. Four finals in four seasons, three of them ending in title wins. The party has begun in Cape Town and it’ll go long into the night.