SA20 final moved due to incessant rain

JOHANNESBURG - Due to incessant rain in Johannesburg yesterday morning, after a week of inclement weather across Gauteng, the Betway SA20 bosses have moved the competition’s final to today.

The final was originally set to start at 4:30pm yesterday at the Wanderers Stadium but it has moved to 1:30pm today.

The tournament said in a statement that preparation for the match had been ‘compromised’, because of the rain, with the pitch having been under cover since last Wednesday after the first semifinal which was played there. A tent had been erected over the strip to hasten preparation in case the weather cleared.

Over 200ml of rain has fallen since then and the South African Weather Service had predicted more showers for the rest of yesterday. “We’ve engaged the match officials, teams, groundsman, stakeholders and the SA Weather Service, and postponing the match is the best decision to allow for the possibility of a full match in drier conditions,” said the tournament’s commissioner, Graeme Smith.

The forecast for today shows the rain may subside in the afternoon.

Tickets for the final were sold out last week, for a competition that has captured the imagination of the South African public and lifted the mood in a sport which had been in the doldrums for many years.

The final will see the Pretoria Capitals who topped the points table at the end of the league phase, take on the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. The Capitals won seven of their 10 round-robin matches and then beat the Paarl Royals in the semifinal, which was played at the Wanderers last Wednesday.