Last Updated on 4 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) had a phenomenal start to their campaign in SA20 2025/26. They won their first game by a huge margin of 137 runs. Batting first, they scored 186/4 thanks to a collective batting effort. Jordan Hermann (64* runs), Quinton de Kock (42 runs), Jonny Bairstow, and Matthew Breetzke (31 runs each) helped their side post a good total.

The bowlers then took care of things as they bundled out the Paarl Royals for just 49 runs. Anrich Nortje (4 wickets) looked in excellent rhythm. Adam Milne (2 wickets) and Tharindu Rathnayake (2 wickets) also bowled well. The Sunrisers are looking very balanced with their batters and bowlers in good form, and they’ll look to carry forward the winning form in this match too. 

The Pretoria Capitals, meanwhile, lost their first game against the Joburg Super Kings by 22 runs. At one point, they had JSK struggling at 138-6, but they leaked a few runs at the end that allowed JSK to reach 168. Tymal Mills, Codi Yusuf, and Bryce Parson picked up 2 wickets each. 

Their batters failed to get going, restricted to 146 runs. Will Smeed (34 runs) and Bryce Parsons (41 runs) put up 71 runs for the first wicket, but things went off track after that. The Capitals will have to be on their toes against a confident Sunrisers side. They’ll get a big boost if Andre Russell and Sherfane Rutherford are available for this match.

St George’s Park. Gqeberha will host the 5th game of the SA20 2025-26 between Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals. The match will start at 9:00 PM IST on 29th December 2025.

SA20 2025/26 5th Match: SEC vs PC Probable Playing XIs

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Jonny Bairstow, 3. Matthew Breetzke, 4. Jordan Hermann, 5. Tristan Stubbs (c), 6. Marco Jansen, 7. Lewis Gregory, 8. Senuran Muthusamy, 9. Tharindu Rathnayake, 10. Adam Milne, 11. Anrich Nortje

Pretoria Capitals: 1. Will Smeed, 2. Bryce Parsons, 3. Shai Hope, 4. Dewald Brevis, 5. Connor Esterhuizen, 6. Sherfane Rutherford/Roston Chase, 7. Andre Russell/Daniel Smith, 8. Codi Yusuf, 9. Keshav Maharaj (c), 10. Tymal Mills, 11. Lungi Ngidi

St George’s Park Qbeberha Pitch Report and Weather

A balanced wicket is expected for this game. It will be good for batting, and the bowlers will also get some assistance. There will be help for the pacers with the new ball, and spinners will come into play as the game progresses. Batters can play their shots trusting the wicket. The average first-innings score here in the last edition was 158 runs. Teams batting first won 9 of the 15 games played here last season. 

A clear day is expected for this match with no chance of rain. Humidity will be around 70-80% at the start of the game.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for SEC vs PC: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:  

• Quinton de Kock (42 runs) continued his good form from the recent India tour. He played his shots and took on the bowlers from the first over itself. De Kock will be a must in your fantasy teams and a good C/VC option too. However, his record at the venue is very poor – 27 runs in 3 innings at an average of 9.
• Jonny Bairstow scored 31 runs, but it was a scratchy knock, as it took 33 deliveries. Bairstow is one of the most aggressive batters when he’s on song and will be a good fantasy pick.
• Shai Hope will bat at 3 for the Capitals. He scored only 2 runs in the first game, but he’s a class batter and has been in good form too. Try him as C/VC in one of your teams. 
• Tristan Stubbs batted too low in the last game, but he’s expected to bat at 4 or 5 in this match. He can score runs freely in the middle and death overs and can be the game changer for his side on his day.
• He’s the second-highest run-scorer at St. George’s Park in SA20: 294 runs in 12 innings at an average of 29.40, striking at 154.74, including a fifty.

Key batter picks: 

• Dewald Brevis was dismissed cheaply in the first game, but he’s the main batter for his side in the middle order. He thrashes spin and can change the course of the game in just a few overs. 
• Brevis at St. George’s Park in SA20: 142 runs in 4 innings at an average of 47.33. Strike rate 133.96, including a fifty. 
• Will Smeed took on the bowlers from the word go in the last match. He likes to put pressure on the bowlers and looked in good touch as well. Smeed will have to be cautious against Sunrisers’ bowling with the new ball, but he can score big and will be a good fantasy pick.
• Jordan Hermann continued his good form from the last season. He played a sublime knock of 64* in just 28 deliveries. He can be promoted up the order too. A must in your fantasy teams.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Marco Jansen was promoted at 3 in the last game after a good start. He scored 8 runs and picked up a wicket. Jansen is the highest wicket-taker at the venue: 21 wickets in 13 games at an economy of 6.73 and a strike rate of 12.86. He will be the best C/VC choice. 

Key bowler picks: 

• Anrich Nortje was at his best in the last game. He was bowling at a good pace and was hitting the bat hard. Nortje will bowl the crucial overs for his side. 
• Tymal Mills bowled with the new ball and then towards the end of the innings for Pretoria. He can swing the new ball, has good pace and a great slower delivery as well. Try him as C/VC while bowling first. 
• Adam Milne (2 wickets) also looked in great rhythm. He can swing the new ball both ways and hits the deck hard. He has good variations too in his arsenal. Another top fantasy pick.

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Team 

• Bryce Parsons picked up 2 wickets and then scored 41 runs in the last game. He is expected to bowl a few overs in this match too. He looked in good touch and, considering all-round value, will be a good fantasy pick.   

Alternative picks you can consider: 

• Tharindu Rahtnayake
• Codi Yusuf (bowl first)
• Lungi Ngidi (bowl first)
• Keshav Maharaj

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head to Head: Pretoria Capitals 4 – Sunrisers Eastern Cape 3
• Jordan Hermann vs Keshav Maharaj (T20s): 35 balls, 35 runs, and 4 dismissals.
• Dewald Brevis vs Marco Jansen (T20s): 36 deliveries, 37 runs, and 3 dismissals. 
• Dewald Brevis vs Anrich Nortje (T20s): 22 deliveries, 18 runs and 2 dismissals.

BBL 2025/26 5th Match: SEC vs PC Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams. 

Option 1:

Option 2:

SA20 2025/26 5th Match: SEC vs PC Match Prediction: Who will win?

Sunrisers Eastern Cape has a strong bowling attack and good batting depth. They’ll be the confident side coming to this match. Pretoria, on the other hand, will have to be at their best, especially with the bat given the absence of Andre Russell and Sherfane Rutherford, if they are to win this game.

Considering team balance and squad depth, Sunrisers Eastern Cape should win this game.

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All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo and Cricmetric.