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The third match of the SA20 2024 will see the Paarl Royals and the Pretoria Capitals open their season at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday, January 12.
The two teams squared off in the semifinals last year, with the Capitals, who had also topped the table, defeating the Royals by 29 runs to qualify for the final, where they eventually went down to the SunRisers Eastern Cape.
Both teams are star-studded and packed with match-winners. While home advantage may give the Paarl Royals an edge, the Pretoria Capitals seem to have a better-rounded side at their disposal despite star seamer Anrich Nortje being ruled out with injury.
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Ahead of this contest, we attempt to pick a combined playing XI featuring players of the Royals and the Capitals.
Openers: Jos Buttler and Will Jacks
Jos Buttler was the highest run-scorer at the SA20 last year and is one of the world's most destructive T20 batters. His selection in this playing XI was an obvious one while his countryman Will Jacks slots in alongside him at the top.
Buttler topped the charts with 391 runs at a strike-rate of 132.54 for the Paarl Royals last season. Jacks was massive in the Pretoria Capitals making the final, as he racked up 270 runs from 7 matches at a spectacular strike rate of 201.49.
He can also chip in with useful overs of off-spin and that factor pipped Philip Salt by a very close margin.
Middle order: Rilee Rossouw, Dane Vilas (wk), and David Miller (c)
Southpaw Rilee Rossouw can be a little hit-or-miss with his returns but on his day, fewer batters are more destructive and can win a game with his willow. He will hold a massive role for the Capitals in SA20 2024 as he looks to better upon an average of 18.36 from the previous season.
Dane Vilas will don the wicketkeeper's gloves in this XI. While he didn't have a great season for the Paarl Royals last year, he can be a reliable failsafe in case of an early collapse while also having the ability to switch gears in the middle overs.
Royals skipper David Miller will assume a similar role in this side too. He will also don the mantle of the side's primary finisher and he enjoyed a decent SA20 season last year, having tallied 227 runs at an average of 32.42 and a strike rate of 128.24.
All-rounders: James Neesham, Eathan Bosch, and Wayne Parnell
One of the main reasons behind the Pretoria Capitals topping the table and making the summit clash last year was the performance of their fast-bowling all-rounders.
The troika of James Neesham, Eathan Bosch, and Wayne Parnell walk into this playing XI as well. Neesham, who pulled off one screamer upon another on the field, made his presence felt with the bat while also chipping in with 14 wickets. He can take down spin in the middle-overs as a floater if need be too.
Eathan Bosch was one of the finds of the inaugural SA20 edition - a fact reiterated by 15 scalps to the right-arm seamer's name. He can also contribute with the bat as he showed with his invaluable 10-ball 22 against the Royals in the semifinal last year and will look to have a bigger say on that front this season.
Capitals skipper Wayne Parnell brings left-arm variety and experience aplenty with him. While he picked up 10 wickets at 19.90 apiece last season, his strike rate of 164.10 - even as he faced just 39 deliveries - is a good enough indicator of his batting muscle.
Bowlers: Adil Rashid, Lungi Ngidi, and Tabraiz Shamsi
Lungi Ngidi is set to lead the Paarl Royals attack again in SA20 2024 while partnering Parnell with the new ball in this combined XI. He bagged 11 wickets from 10 outings last season at a healthy economy rate of 7.16 and will be tasked with operating across different phases.
A twin wrist-spin combination rounds off this side with Adil Rashid and Tabraiz Shamsi complementing each other with a left and right-arm variety. Rashid continues to remain a pivotal component in England's T20 setup and will look to add to his 14 SA20 wickets thus far for the Capitals.
Shamsi, on the other hand, has established himself as South Africa's primary wrist-spinner in white-ball cricket. He picked up just eight wickets last year but on the tacky decks of Paarl, will have a massive say in how far the Royals go this season.
Combined playing 11 of Paarl Royals and Pretoria Capitals for SA20 2024: Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Rilee Rossouw, Dane Vilas (wk), David Miller, James Neesham, Eathan Bosch, Wayne Parnell, Adil Rashid, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Paarl Royals or Pretoria Capitals - who are you backing to win tonight's SA20 clash? Have your say in the comments section below!
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