Zak Crawley Joins Sunrisers Eastern Cape for SA20 Season 3
England international batter Zak Crawley has been signed by the defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) for the upcoming SA20 Season 3. This will be Crawley’s first time playing in South Africa’s premier domestic T20 competition.
Zak Crawley’s T20 Journey
Crawley has been a standout player for England in Test cricket, embodying the aggressive ‘Bazball’ philosophy under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. The 26-year-old has also played in Australia’s T20 League with the Hobart Hurricanes and has a T20 century for Kent in England’s T20 Blast.
“I have always wanted to be a good white-ball player. I am trying to add a few other shots to my game, but I feel like it is quite suited and I have gone well in T20 cricket in the past when I have had a run at it. I am trying to add a bit more power to my game, I am working hard in the nets, trying a few different things to hopefully hit more and bigger sixes,” said Crawley.
| Matches | Runs | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 1771 | 134.07 | 1 | 8 | 108* |
Roelof van der Merwe Returns
Netherlands all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe will also return to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape for this season. Known as ‘The Bulldog,’ van der Merwe was a key player in SEC’s previous victories, being the joint leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets and an economy rate of just 5.62 in the first season.
Van der Merwe was particularly influential in the inaugural final at the Wanderers, where he claimed 4/31 against the Pretoria Capitals, earning the Player of the Final award. The 39-year-old also holds the best-ever figures in SA20 history with 6/20 against Durban’s Super Giants.
| Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Economy Rate | Average | Runs | Strike Rate | 50s | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 343 | 317 | 6/20 | 7.32 | 24.18 | 3043 | 131.84 | 10 | 89* |
Van der Merwe remains a fan favorite and will be warmly welcomed back at St George’s Park.
Doubts Revealed
Zak Crawley -: Zak Crawley is a cricketer from England. He plays the sport of cricket, which is very popular in India.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape -: Sunrisers Eastern Cape is a cricket team that plays in South Africa. They compete in a tournament called SA20.
SA20 Season 3 -: SA20 is a cricket tournament in South Africa, and Season 3 means it is the third time this tournament is happening.
Bazball -: Bazball is a style of playing cricket that is very aggressive and fast. It is named after a coach called Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum.
Roelof van der Merwe -: Roelof van der Merwe is a cricketer from the Netherlands. He is known for being very good at playing T20 cricket.
T20 -: T20 is a format of cricket where each team plays 20 overs. It is shorter and faster than other formats of cricket.
