SA20 2024: Simon Harmer lauds Tristan Stubbs post match-winning show against Durban Super Giants

Monday, 22 January 2024: With this week marking the middle of the group stage of SA20 Season 2, Monday’s fixture between Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) and Pretoria Capitals is set to be a key match.

Hosts, Sunrisers come into the clash – a repeat of the Season 1 final they won - in third place on the log standings after two wins from four matches, the most recent against Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) on Saturday. Meanwhile, the visiting Capitals are currently in last place, having only picked up a single win in the four matches to date.

On Saturday, Simon Harmer claimed the Player of the Match award, for his 4-18 in the win against DSG, but the veteran off-spinner was keen to emphasize how important the form of Tristan Stubbs is to SEC’s hopes this season.

“The confidence of the players grows when you start to get wins on the board. A guy like Stubbsy getting runs, Marco [Jansen] as well - all of that contributes to the next time those guys go out to bat.”   

Despite his own star performance against DSG, Harmer deflected the praise to Stubbs.

“I thought he thoroughly deserved the man of the match award. He took us home. It’s so important when a batter gets to 30 or 40 to be 60 not out exactly like he did. He’s got a very mature head on his shoulders for such a young guy. As you saw [against DSG] he showcased his striking ability and ultimately that’s why guys like him get paid the big bucks because they can get performances on the board when the team really needs it. After we lost Aiden we needed Stubbo to put up his hand and he did that in emphatic fashion.”

Monday’s match marks a homecoming for Pretoria Capitals captain, Wayne Parnell. The 34-year-old was born and bred in Gqeberha (where he attended Grey High School) and spent his initial senior years with the Eastern Province provincial side and Warriors franchise before moving on.

That all said, Parnell was not minded to reflect too much on his personal connections but rather the need for his side to look forward after the loss against Joburg Super Kings.

“You can’t ponder on it too much because we obviously play [today] against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. It’s about trying to learn - we made a couple of basic errors but you have to park it and go down there and be fresh again because it’s a big game for us.”

Last season Capitals won both group matches, but SEC won the match which mattered – the Final by four wickets.