The opening game of the 2018 season will take place at home for the two-time SA20 champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, as St George’s Park has been allocated the venue. After the 30-match league phase, the first qualifier will be conducted at the Gqeberha site to determine which team advances automatically to the Wanderers Stadium final in Johannesburg.
Before the game was moved to Newlands for the second season, the Wanderers hosted the first SA20 final. The decision to return to Johannesburg was made without explanation, yet capacity concerns could be the cause. The Wanderers, which can hold up to 30,000 people, is the largest cricket ground in South Africa.
The playoffs will be held in Centurion for the second time in the tournament’s brief history when SuperSport Park hosts the second qualifier and the eliminator on consecutive days. The only two locations where none of the marquee matches have yet taken place are Kingsmead in Durban and Boland Park in Paarl.
The Sunrisers’ match against MI Cape Town on January 9 will mark the commencement of the SA20, which will have the same structure as season 2. Before the playoffs, every team plays every other team both at home and away. There are still 34 matches in total.
“We’re thrilled to start the season in Gqeberha with our defending champions and look forward to an action-packed summer of cricket. As we welcome international talent to the roaring pool of local stars, we aim to deliver an unforgettable experience for both players and fans alike,” Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner said in a statement.
With each of the six teams having signed between 14 and 17 players, just a few shy of the maximum of 19, the SA20 squads are all but set. On October 1, a player auction will determine who is left in the running.