Fans embrace SA20 2nd season — despite the rain
● While rain has dominated the opening few days of the second season of the SA20, the league seems to still have a hold on the public’s attention.
After a successful season one, in which concerns about whether new teams and players moving from their usual domestic teams to other cities would be confusing for spectators, were assuaged, and Cricket South Africa (CSA) — the majority shareholder in the league — actually made a few bucks, there is increasing optimism that season two will properly establish the tournament on the South African sports calendar.
“The kind of reception SA20 got (last year) took all of us by surprise. We anticipated that the response we got in season one would occur in season two or three,” said Ankit Baldi, the head of franchise for the Super Kings, which owns the Johannesburg team.
The Wanderers was a sea of yellow yesterday, once spectators had settled in after a delay caused by a thunderstorm.
Rain — the weather and not the mobile company that is one of the tournament’s sponsors — has been a major theme in the opening few days. The first match in Gqeberha was rained out on Wednesday, while precipitation also brought an early end to proceedings in the second match in Durban the following night.
“Today’s our first (home) game, we’ve touched nearly 20,000 in ticket sales, and that is despite there being a threat of rain,” said Baldi.
Although the build-up to this season’s tournament was dominated by its role in selection of a weakened Proteas team for a two-Test match tour to New Zealand, there is growing acceptance from the wider South African cricket community about its importance.
CSA, which has been on a fragile financial footing in the last few years, was able — through its 57% ownership share in the league — to add R34m to its coffers in the last financial year.
Although not a substantial figure, given its overall losses of R119m, it showed the kind of potential the tournament has, and at least internally at CSA, it justifies the decision to ensure the nationally contracted players are available to play in the SA20.
As for the players themselves, the benefits of exposure to international coaches and sharing dressing rooms with some of the world’s best players has proven invaluable. “You are exposed to players who play around the world, and just to see the level at which they operate on a daily basis is so important,” said Joburg Super Kings batter Sibonelo Makhanya.
“If there is a place where domestic players could all get better, it is our preparation. We do a lot of stuff, without thinking it through, or without real intensity. That is what this tournament teaches us on a daily basis. When you are out there playing, there is a lot of pressure and a lot of intensity. So, when you get out of bed, you come to training ... whatever you do, you have to do with intensity.”
Super Kings all-rounder David Wiese explained how, despite all the razzmatazz off the field, it was the quality of play on it that would determine whether the SA20 is a success or not. Having played in Pakistan, India, the Caribbean and in the US last year, Wiese is well placed to assess the SA20. “The main thing is always going to be the standard of cricket that gets played,” he said.
“You can have an awesome tournament, but if the standard’s not high, you won’t get the best players in the world to come out. If you look at the quality of overseas players that are here, it shows you they hold the standard in high regard.”