Paarl Royals will need to drop a spinner.
Pretoria Capitals (PC) will face Paarl Royals (PR) in the 25th match of SA20 2026. Both teams won their previous games: PC won by 53 runs, while PR registered a six-wicket win.
Pretoria Capitals: Connor Esterhuizen, Shai Hope (wk), Wihan Lubbe, Jordan Cox, Dewald Brevis, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Keshav Maharaj (c), Lizaad Williams, Lungi Ngidi, Gideon Peters
Paarl Royals: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Asa Tribe, Dan Lawrence, Rubin Hermann, David Miller, Sikandar Raza, Keagan Lion-Cachet, Delano Potgieter, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqobani Mokoena
The pitches in Centurion have been ideal for batting, with some early assistance for pacers. Fast bowlers have taken 82.85% of the total wickets at an average of 24.65 this season. Expect another nice batting surface, with the ball coming nicely on the willow.
The average first-innings score in Centurion this season has been 177. Batters’ average of 26.57 has been the second-best among all venues. The team winning the toss might elect to field first, with a total of around 180 being a fighting score.
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Paarl Royals have played a spin-heavy attack in most games, as the conditions in Paarl require extra spinners. In the previous fixture, they employed Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Sikandar Raza. Additionally, they also had Asa Tribe and Dan Lawrence as other decent spinners.
In total, Paarl Royals have used five spinners – the joint-most – in SA20 2026. Around 59.81% of their total overs have been bowled by slow bowlers. Collectively, they have taken the most wickets (20) at an average of 28.45, and their economy rate of 6.85 is the second-best in the competition.
However, the Royals must drop one of their spinners to accommodate a fast bowler against Pretoria Capitals. As mentioned above, pacers have been more effective than spinners in Centurion. In contrast, spinners have found the least assistance and performed the worst at this venue this season.
Among all six grounds used, the SuperSport Park in Centurion has seen the lowest number of wickets (6) falling to spinners in SA20 2026. Furthermore, their average (39.66), strike rate (28), and economy rate (8.50) have been the worst at this ground. Hence, their usage has been minimal, with tweakers bowling only 24.57% of total overs in Centurion.
Paarl Royals have two spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who can be dropped as a tactical change. They should leave out Mujeeb since his performances on flat decks have been shaky lately. Fortuin also brings a left-arm dimension with immaculate accuracy to perform effectively across venues, keeping the Royals’ attack flexible.
In return, Paarl Royals should bring in Ottneil Baartman in the XI. However, Baartman has surprisingly not played the last few matches, and management hasn’t given any clarity on his absence. If he is unavailable for selection, Hardus Viljoen remains another option, as he can bowl with the old ball.
Viljoen operates effectively with the new ball and can partner with Nqobani Mokoena in the powerplay. Since 2025, he has eight wickets at an average of 11.75 and an economy rate of 7.23 during the field restrictions. Additionally, he has conceded a boundary around every five deliveries and bowled 61.53% dot balls in this phase.
Paarl Royals don’t have many options to use in the powerplay in the pace department. So, Viljoen can do the heavy lifting and will get some early assistance in Centurion. He also has previous experience playing at this venue, taking eight wickets at 34.62 runs apiece in eight innings.
The priority should be Baartman, but he might not be available for unknown reasons, if previous matches are anything to go by. Hence, Viljoen should return after missing the last game for tactical reasons. He is Paarl Royals’ best bet to get a few early wickets and restrict the flow of runs in the powerplay.
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