Heinrich Klaasen and Ottniel Baartman honoured for SA20 heroics

HEINRICH KLAASEN (BETWAY PLAYER OF THE SEASON AND BATTER OF THE SEASON)

Heinrich Klaasen's Season 2 numbers almost speak for themselves. Durban's Super Giants' middle-order batter scored 447 runs, with a high score of 85 (off 35 balls) against MI Cape Town and an incredible strike rate of 207.90 - well above the next best, Kieron Pollard, on 185.14.

The reality is that when 'Klaasie' strode to the wicket, opposition captains and bowlers had to have their wits about them. More often than not, it didn't matter as MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings (twice) and Paarl Royals discovered after his rapid-fire 50s against them.

Ryan Rickelton lead both the Betway Player of the Season and Batter of the Season charge, while Leus du Plooy, Jos Buttler and Matthew Breetzke all threatened the top of the leaderboards too. Ultimately, Klaasen overtook Rickelton during playoffs week and the awards go to him courtesy of his 224.46 rankings (190.46 of them coming from his batting).

OTTNIEL BAARTMAN (BOWLER OF THE SEASON)

The Bowler of the Season leaderboard was topped by Lungi Ngidi for much of the campaign, but as Paarl Royals title hopes faded so Sunrisers rose, largely thanks to Ottniel Baartman.

The 30-year-old from Oudtshoorn received a bit of 'tap' against Durban's Super Giants (0-51) in the Orange Army's defacto season opener but has been talismanic since.

Baartman has tended to pick up cheap early-spell wickets before coming into his own during the death overs with his accurate yorkers and intelligent changes of pace.

His two four-fors have been incredibly stingy; the 4-12 against Pretoria Capitals prompted an SA20 record-low score of 52 while his 4-10 in the Qualifier 1 against Super Giants secured him some personal revenge but also secured SEC direct passage into the Final - in which he claimed 2-17, including DSG's main man, Heinrich Klaasen for a first-ball duck.

MARCO JANSEN (RISING STAR)

Considering the experience Marco Jansen has racked up in recent years it's hard to think of him as a Rising Star, but at only 23-year-old Sunrisers Eastern Cape's left-arm pace bowler and lower-order batter falls well within the category's Under-25 threshold.

That's besides the point that Jansen's Season 2 returns also placed him high on the overall and bowler categories. He found his bowling stride as the campaign wore on, ending up with 20 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.66. Jansen's standout spell was against Durban's Super Giants in Qualifier 1, when he claimed 4-16, but then he did even better in the Final by picking up 5-30.

Jansen didn't get many opportunities with the bat, but when coach Adrian Birrell and captain Aiden Markram gave him an opportunity up the order, at 4, away against Paarl Royals he dully showed his all-round abilities with a game-defining 71*.

Full list of Betway SA20 Season 2 Award Winners:

Betway SA20 champions: Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Runners-up: Durban's Super Giants

Spirit of Cricket: Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Groundsman of the Season: Bryan Bloy (Pretoria Capitals)

Rising Star: Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)

Batter of the Season: Heinrich Klaasen (Durban's Super Giants)

Bowler of the Season: Ottniel Baartman (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)

Player of the Season: Heinrich Klaasen (Durban's Super Giants)

Via SA20.co.za

READ MORE: Sunrisers Eastern Cape successfully defend SA20 title against Durban Super Giants