Newlands will host the Betway SA20 Final for the second year running. This will happen when season five gets underway in January next year.

Boland Park in Paarl will stage its first playoff match. The full fixtures list, announced this week, confirms a bumper month of cricket across all six stadiums in the country.

Season opener

Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals will open the season at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday 17 January next year. It is a repeat of the season four final.

The two sides met in the final at Newlands in January. Sunrisers clinched their third title in four seasons with a dramatic six-wicket victory.

Chasing 159, they were reduced to 48 for four. Tristan Stubbs and Matthew Breetzke then combined in an unbeaten 114-run stand to seal the win with four balls to spare.

Betway SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith says there is no better way to start the new season.

“There is no better way to start season five than with a repeat of one of the most thrilling finals in our history,” Smith says.

“Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals served up a classic in Cape Town last season and it’s fitting that they’re the two teams out in the middle when the season gets underway in Gqeberha on 17 January next year.” Smith says announcing the fixtures is always a big moment for the league.

“Announcing the Betway SA20 fixtures is always a big moment for us. It’s the first major milestone ahead of the new season. Moreover, it means the wheels are in motion for us as we build towards an incredible month of cricket.”

Weekend double-headers

Fans will be able to make the most of their weekends, with four Saturday double-headers scheduled throughout the month. The first falls on Saturday 23 January. Durban’s Super Giants host Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead. Later that evening, Joburg Super Kings take on Sunrisers Eastern Cape at the Wanderers. More double-header action follows on 30 January, 6 February and 13 February. The final takes place at Newlands on Sunday 21 February.

Playoffs come to Paarl

Boland Park in Paarl will host a playoff match for the first time, with Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 16 February.

The Wanderers in Johannesburg will stage the rest of the playoff action. The Eliminator takes place on Wednesday 17 February, with Qualifier 2 on Friday 19 February.

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city is proud to host the final again. This is particularly significant in a year when Cape Town also welcomes the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

“Cape Town is proud to once again host the Betway SA20 Final and to do so as our city gears up for an extraordinary year of cricket,” Hill-Lewis says.

“The league has become an anticipated fixture on our sporting and cultural calendar. Hosting this final in the same year we welcome the world for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup shows exactly why Cape Town is one of the great cricketing cities.”

Hill-Lewis says the city looks forward to giving visitors a warm welcome when the final comes to Newlands.