Sunrisers will be gunning for third title, says Kruger
05 September 2024 - 15:42
byAmir Chetty
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Sunrisers Eastern Cape allrounder Patrick Kruger believes the side can bring home a third Betway SA20 title this season. Picture: SPORTZPICS/SA20/SHAUN ROY
Sunrisers Eastern Cape allrounder Patrick Kruger has his sights set on helping his side claim a third crown when they begin the defence of their Betway SA20 cricket title in early 2025.
The Gqeberha-based righthand batter, who made his debut in the orange outfit in the tournament in 2023, put in some strong performances on their way to the title.
In keeping with the local theme created by Adrian Birrell at the Orange Army, Kruger was retained for the third season of the tournament, and will be eager to repay the faith shown in him.
“I wasn’t part of the first title win, but as a team, you do back yourself a bit more, having won it the first year and I think guys within the camp are always backing themselves to win it.
“We went into the second edition with a lot of confidence and we’re just glad that everything paid off for us in the end,” Kruger said.
He may only have scored 62 runs and taken four wickets in the 10 matches he played during his first season but his contributions must not be understated.
Two of his most noteworthy performances came when he took three wickets for just eight runs in a match against the Pretoria Capitals early in the competition, before smashing 26 runs from seven balls in the latter stages against the Paarl Royals.
“Obviously we would love to win the competition again by keeping it as simple as we can. I just want to contribute more.
“My role is to bowl and bat, which makes things a bit tougher to execute because of the added pressure, but I just want to give my best for the team and give ourselves the best chance to win the competition again.”
Both those showings came in front of his home crowd in Nelson Mandela Bay and he said playing in front of a packed stadium in Gqeberha was quite special.
“The crowds were great in PE. Sometimes you don’t hear what they are saying but it’s really great playing there.
“You always feel the vibe and it makes you want to do well for them.
“The crowd speaks for itself, and seeing the cricket we do play, it encourages people to come and watch us play."
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Sunrisers will be gunning for third title, says Kruger
Sunrisers Eastern Cape allrounder Patrick Kruger has his sights set on helping his side claim a third crown when they begin the defence of their Betway SA20 cricket title in early 2025.
The Gqeberha-based righthand batter, who made his debut in the orange outfit in the tournament in 2023, put in some strong performances on their way to the title.
In keeping with the local theme created by Adrian Birrell at the Orange Army, Kruger was retained for the third season of the tournament, and will be eager to repay the faith shown in him.
“I wasn’t part of the first title win, but as a team, you do back yourself a bit more, having won it the first year and I think guys within the camp are always backing themselves to win it.
“We went into the second edition with a lot of confidence and we’re just glad that everything paid off for us in the end,” Kruger said.
He may only have scored 62 runs and taken four wickets in the 10 matches he played during his first season but his contributions must not be understated.
Two of his most noteworthy performances came when he took three wickets for just eight runs in a match against the Pretoria Capitals early in the competition, before smashing 26 runs from seven balls in the latter stages against the Paarl Royals.
“Obviously we would love to win the competition again by keeping it as simple as we can. I just want to contribute more.
“My role is to bowl and bat, which makes things a bit tougher to execute because of the added pressure, but I just want to give my best for the team and give ourselves the best chance to win the competition again.”
Both those showings came in front of his home crowd in Nelson Mandela Bay and he said playing in front of a packed stadium in Gqeberha was quite special.
“The crowds were great in PE. Sometimes you don’t hear what they are saying but it’s really great playing there.
“You always feel the vibe and it makes you want to do well for them.
“The crowd speaks for itself, and seeing the cricket we do play, it encourages people to come and watch us play."
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