Sunrisers Eastern Cape brings Zak Crawley and Roelof van der Merwe on board for SA20 2025

07/30/2024

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Two-time SA20 champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape have secured English opener Zak Crawley and Dutch player Roelof van der Merwe for the SA20 2025 season. Crawley will debut in the prestigious South African league, while van der Merwe is set to return after participating in the inaugural season.

Crawley has consistently demonstrated his abilities as a key player in Test cricket with the advent of the Bazball. However, he is yet to solidify his presence in the T20 format, having participated in 76 matches and scoring 1771 runs. With an average of 26.04, the top-order batter could prove valuable as an opener for the Eastern Cape team. The 26-year-old has prior experience in T20 leagues, including a stint with the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia, and has scored a T20 century for Kent in England's T20 Blast.

Meanwhile, van der Merwe will return to his former team after playing for them in the first season. In the 2023 season, the 39-year-old did not contribute significantly with the bat, scoring just 24 runs at an average of 24. However, he was a key bowler for the team taking 20 wickets including a remarkable spell of 6/20 against Durban’s Super Giants. Van der Merwe was particularly impactful in the final of the SA20 2023 at the Wanderers, where he took 4 wickets against the Pretoria Capitals earning the Player-of-the-Match award.

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