The Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape will meet in the SA20 final at a sold-out Newlands on Sunday.

The prize money on offer is R32.5-million for the winners – the second highest franchise purse behind the IPL – with the remaining teams sharing a sum of R70-million.

The finalists were the best sides in the league stage with the Sunrisers finishing top of the standings and the Capitals in second place.

But that’s when the tables turned. Despite being overcome twice by the Sunrisers in the league stage, including an overwhelming 10-wicket defeat at home, the boys in sky blue from Pretoria stood up from the canvas to defeat the Orange Army in the first qualifier playoff at Kingsmead.

This booked Keshav Maharaj and his men a straight passage to Cape Town, where they have been for the entire week resting, recuperating and fine-tuning specific skills.

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The Sunrisers had to do it the hard way after losing a first qualifier playoff for the first time. Their vast playoff experience, however, shone through as they held their nerve on a sharp-turning pitch at the Wanderers to convincingly beat the Paarl Royals in the second qualifier playoff to secure a fourth consecutive SA20 final berth.

Captain Tristan Stubbs was beaming with excitement ahead of the chance to clinch a third SA20 title.

“It’s a final, it’s going to be exciting. The boys will be up, there’s no question about it,” he said.

“I think in a final, I guess it’s a case of not getting too far ahead of yourselves. You don’t look too far ahead. You play the current or in the moment.

“We’ll prep like we have for every game and knockout games. You never really try and take your foot off the pedal. If you’ve got a team on top, you try and, as best you can, keep the pressure on as much as possible.”

Pretoria Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj will be hoping to create happier memories at Newlands after leading Durban’s Super Giants to defeat against the self-same Sunrisers in the SA20 final at the foot of Table Mountain.

Maharaj certainly has a talent-laden squad at his disposal with young star Dewald Brevis the headline act alongside West Indian superstar Sherfane Rutherford to go one better this time and take the Capitals to their maiden title.

“I think an occasion was magnitude, the guys naturally rallied up, it’s just about staying fresh and having that energy and intensity on the field,” Maharaj said.

“Obviously we know the Sunrisers have been here four times, so it’s making sure that we match their energy or try to raise it from that perspective, but I think the boys are ready to go, putting the final touches into place and hopefully hit the ground running.”

The match starts at 3:30pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Grandstand (201), Variety 4 (209) and SuperSport Cricket (211).

Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics