Anrich Nortjé is confident that the Pretoria Capitals can bounce back against Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Centurion today. Photo: Sportzpics
The Pretoria Capitals are about to get a shot at turning their SA20 tide when they welcome the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at SuperSport Park in Centurion today (1pm start).
In what will be the repeat of the 2023 final, both the Capitals and the Sunrisers will be desperate for a win as they are yet to register victories in both their opening encounters.
Under the new leadership of Rilee Rossouw and former England batter Jonathan Trott, the Capitals will feel like every silver lining they have found seems to come with a thundercloud.
Chasing 210 to win against the Durban’s Super Giants at the Kingsmead on Friday, the 2023 finalists were cruising at 154/0, and the match was theirs to lose – and they did so in dramatic circumstances by a slender two runs.
The follow-up fixture with the same opponent in Pretoria was washed out without a ball being bowled on Sunday due to persistent rain.
Mr. 360 spotted 👀 👋#RoarSaamMore #BetwaySA20 #PCvsDSG pic.twitter.com/8I7CjAS9ok
— Pretoria Capitals (@PretoriaCapsSA) January 12, 2025
Meanwhile, the Sunrisers fell to a nine-wicket loss against the Paarl Royals on Saturday.
Both sides are now on the ropes, as they find themselves in a position where they can’t afford to lose another match.
The Capitals won this corresponding fixture by three runs last season, and speaking ahead of today’s match, Proteas quick bowler Anrich Nortjé believes that their home-ground advantage will play a big role, and their unwanted start will not determine the rest of their season.
“It’s always difficult playing away from home,” Nortjé told Independent Media Sport.
“Most of the teams are fairly new to the conditions. There will be a little bit of home-ground advantage and understanding of how the wickets are playing, with a little bit of training that we have had at our home stadium.
“Playing in Durban, we played really well, but unfortunately, we lost a few wickets and we couldn’t keep the momentum at the end of the day.
“It was a good cricket game, and hopefully from here on, we can just build on it.
“It’s always good to start the tournament with a win, but it’s not about how you start: it’s about how you finish.
“So, hopefully we get the momentum closer to the end of the tournament.”
The 31-year-old – who was included in the Proteas squad yesterday for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament – added that despite the season starting on a winless note, the Capitals have moved on from their disappointing 2024 campaign, and are rather focused on finishing the season a lot stronger.
“You’re bound to have some good seasons and some bad seasons. You will have seasons where things are just not in place, and a handful of guys are just not in form,” Nortjé said.
“Hopefully this season, we can have guys in form to contribute at critical times, and also just start winning and get used to it, because winning becomes a habit.
“In tournaments like these, the more you win, the better your chances as we get closer to the end of the tournament.
“You find ways to win, and that is going to be crucial when we get to the playoffs as well.
“Last season was not a great season, but it is forgotten. We are fully focused on the current season.” | Independent Media Sport
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