What a buzz for SA cricket

You’ve got to give it to tournament director Graeme Smith and the entire SA20 production team and its franchises. After two seasons of heaps of sixes, fours and wickets, the monthlong cricket tournament has certainly captured the imagination of the South African public, and can only grow from strength to strength in future years.

On Saturday night at a packed Newlands in Cape Town, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape beat the Durban Super Giants by 89 runs in the final to lift the trophy for the second straight year.

The format, which gives the team that finished fourth of the six teams a chance to still go all the way, may have been criticised, but the teams in the final were the top two after the double round of group matches.

The innovation from tournament sponsors Betway to offer a share of R2 million to any spectator who took a clean one-handed catch at any of the 34 matches is ingenious. Every former club player, backyard cricketer and mom arrive at the ground hoping it will be their day to make a quick buck and bask in the limelight.

Television ratings are up, the crowds filled the stadiums to capacity for the majority of the matches and players – new and old – stepped up to make their mark.

Youngsters Ryan Rickelton, Jordan Hermann and Matthew Breetzke all thrived on the big stage, while old hand Heinrich Klaasen proved he’s probably the best Twenty-20 player around, and Sunrisers bowlers Marco Jansen and Ottniel Baartman showed they have a very bright future with the ball in hand.

Smith and Cricket South Africa still need to ensure the January-February time slot doesn’t clash with the national team’s schedule – like it did on their current Test tour to New Zealand – but the blueprint has been established and the tournament is certainly here to stay.

The only pity is that we have to wait another 11 months before the next tournament.