Sunrisers Eastern Cape retain core of back-to-back championship-winning squad

Cape Town [South Africa], August 2 (ANI): Aiden Markram will lead the Sunrisers Eastern Cape's bid for an unprecedented Betway SA20 hat-trick of championship titles after the captain headlined the list of retained players for Season 3 on Wednesday. Markram raised the Betway SA20 trophy above his head at the conclusion of the last competition.

The SEC skipper has led with skill and astute tactical awareness, guiding his team calmly through high-pressure situations. The experience gained in Betway SA20 over the past two seasons has filtered through to the international stage where Markram became the first South African senior captain to lead the Proteas Men's team to a World Cup final at the recently-concluded ICC Men's T20 World Cup in the US and Caribbean, as per a SA20 release.

Markram has also played a pivotal role with the bat, scoring 627 runs in 21 innings at an average of 33 and strike-rate of 132, to place him fourth on the all-time Betway SA20 run-scorers list. He was particularly prolific in Season 1, striking 366 runs, which included a magnificent century in the semi-final victory over Joburg Super Kings at Centurion.

Markram's run-tally, along with his overall contribution both as a leader and with the ball, earned Markram the coveted Betway SA20 Player of Season 1 award. The Sunrisers also retained the core of their back-to-back championship-winning squad for Season 3. The Gqeberha-based team's success has been built around their formidable seam-bowling attack.

They have therefore retained SA20 Bowler of Season 2 Ottniel Baartman and Season 2's leading wicket-taker Marco Jansen. Baartman is the top wicket-taker in the competition's history with 30 wickets at an average of 13.83, while Jansen is just two shy in second place with 28 scalps at 20.03, the release added.

All-rounder Tristan Stubbs has repaid his record auction fee of R9.2 million in leaps and bounds after finishing as the Sunrisers' leading run-scorer in Season 2 with 301 runs at an average of 60.20 and a strike rate of 168.15 and has also been retained for next season. Englishman Tom Abell has also been rewarded for his Player of the Final performance in Season 2 by being retained along with young batting partner Jordan Hermann. The latter struck a superb maiden T20 century at Newlands last season.

All-rounder Patrick Kruger, who earned a Proteas T20I debut in the West Indies, on the back of his performances for the Sunrisers has been retained alongside Beyers Swanepoel. The spin trio of Simon Harmer, Liam Dawson and young Caleb Seleka will also all be back for Season 3, while last season's Rookie Andile Simelane has been incorporated into the squad.

Confirmation of their retentions before the 31 July deadline comes on the back of Sunrisers already confirming four other signings with the return of Roelof van der Merwe, the arrival of Englishmen Zak Crawley and Craig Overton as well as Proteas batter David Bedingham as their Wildcard for Season 3. As with all the SA20 teams, they still have until 15 August to confirm if they've signed any other new overseas players but effectively they've left two slots open for the player auction to come later in 2024, where they will also draft a new rookie for next season.

Full list of Sunrisers Eastern Cape Retentions for season 3

Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Tom Abell (overseas, England), Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Beyers Swanepoel, Simon Harmer, Liam Dawson (overseas, England), Caleb Seleka, Andile Simelane.

Pre-signed overseas:

Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands), Craig Overton (England), Zak Crawley (England).

Wildcard:

David Bedingham. (ANI)