SA20 | Twitter amused as Hermann plays an unplanned 'trial ball' to kick off final after umpire blooper

02/10/2024

1973

An extravagant closing ceremony meant the anticipation was at an all-time high ahead of the SA20 final but who has ever managed to stop nature from having its say? A perfectly timed gust of wind allowed Jordan Hermann the privilege of settling in with a trial ball akin to gully cricket.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the toss in Newlands and opted to bat first in their second SA20 final across as many seasons with the hopes of completing an elusive double and cementing themselves as a powerhouse in one of the latest additions to the T20 franchise circuit. Openers Dawid Malan and Jordan Hermann had made their way to the center through a red carpet flanked by a display of fireworks alongside Durban's Super Giants XI spread across the field. Off-spinner JJ Smuts had the ball in hand and umpire Stephen Harris called play at the stroke of 5:30 PM local time to signal the start of the summit clash. However, after all the hype and build-up, an unexpected blooper killed the moment comically.

As soon as Smuts trodded in and delivered a tight ball at the stumps to earn himself a rare dot ball, the umpire reset the action by waving his arms across his waist. During the run-up, a puff of wind had blown the hat of Harris' head all the way to the edge of the 30-yard circle, potentially disturbing Hermann's focus and leading to an obligatory dead ball. The moment not only spurned a huge burst of laughter from the commentators but also had some players sporting a wry grin and as it turned out, Hermann managed to get off strike on the very first ball legal ball he played.

Twitterati as always was quick to draw comparisons of the incident with the practice of trial ball ubiquitous in gully cricket.

Funny start for SA20

— Jas Pope (@jas_pope93438)

Waiting for it

sunrisers eastern cape will win SA20 league once again 🔥🔥
— Himanshu samadhiya (@Himanshusamad18)

Best of luck

Let's go Final

Best of Luck, Durban Super Giants. Bring the trophy ❤️
— Ved. 🇮🇳 (@VedPathak35)

Are you watching?

We are all watching SA20 Final akere?
— Tshemedi (@RealTshemedi)

Lot of controversies

Match fixing sort of decision from Markram & co. at the toss. Last year they won while chasing & are always comfortable at chasing they cant defend any total in this league. Their bowlers at death go for a lot of runs it is a very fishy decision.
— Fraser Mcgurk enthusiast (@adityaodds)

Game of few crores

He could've earned a few crores in SA20, but he has chosen to warm the bench in a test series. Now, he has chosen an ECB contract over 10 crores IPL money
— Sachin Tendulkar Perumal (@sachintendulpbe)

What an experience