The Nelson Mandela Bay metro has welcomed the return of the highly entertaining T20 cricket format to the metro with the establishment of the SunRisers Eastern Cape team, which will be part of the new SA20 tournament.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape is owned by India’s Sun TV Network, which is one of the largest media groups in the country.
It successfully bid for the Eastern Cape SA20 franchise.
“We are excited to see the return of T20 cricket to the city. It will help the city come alive,” said executive mayor Eugené Johnson at a city hall meeting with a senior SunRisers Eastern Cape delegation from India.
City manager Noxolo Nqwazi said the return of an international sporting event would help the metro to recover from the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns.
“We are excited to see cricket bringing investors into the metro,” she said.
Mr. K. Shanmugam, Head of Sports Division, SunRisers, promised that the team would bring high-energy entertaining T20 cricket to the metro.
It would also work with local cricketing bodies to identify promising young talent and nurture their development.
Promising players will be given the opportunity to play for SunRisers Hyderabad in the Indian IPL.
Sports and recreation director Charmaine Williams said the metro’s ongoing investment in and support for the St George’s cricket ground was a result of a long-standing relationship with Eastern Province Cricket.
The metro would, she said, support the SA20 games played in Nelson Mandela Bay “in kind” through the provision of safety and security services, as well as marketing.
The first match of the SA20 is scheduled for 17 January 2023.
Players will be confirmed after an auction on September 19.
“Sunrisers will help promote Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape as a whole as both a tourist and investment destination,” says Dr Mark Williams, chief executive officer of Cricket Eastern Cape.
Founded as a media company in April 1993, Sun TV expanded into professional sport.
In 2013, SRH made an explosive entry into the Indian Premier League (IPL) when it made it into the playoffs of the IPL, the biggest T20 cricket league in the world.
SRH were IPL champions in 2016 and runners-up in 2018.
The team has made it into the playoffs in six seasons since 2013.
