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For the 2018 season, England batsman Zak Crawley, Netherlands all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe, and fast bowler Craig Overton have all joined Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the reigning SA20 winners.
Although Crawley has played in T20 competitions before, having represented the Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers in the BBL, Kent in the T20 Blast, and London Spirit in the Hundred, this will be his debut season in the SA20.
Although he has only played in eight One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and has not yet made his debut for England in the shorter format, he is a key member of their Test side, opening the batting and being renowned for his expansive strokeplay and high strike rate.
“I’ve always wanted to be a good white-ball player,” Crawley said. “I’m trying to add a few other shots to my game, but I feel like it’s quite suited [to me] and I’ve gone well in T20 cricket in the past when I’ve had a run at it. I’m trying to add a bit more power to my game, I’m working hard in the nets trying a few different things to hopefully hit more and bigger sixes.”
With 16 series, including the 2025 Champions Trophy, slated for the men’s squad over the next two years, Crawley and England have a packed cricket calendar. Nonetheless, England has a competitive edge over most of their opponents because most franchise T20 competitions take place in the off-season, giving players unrestricted opportunity to grow and earn.
Van der Merwe, who was a member of the Sunrisers during the inaugural SA20 season in 2022–2023—has also returned. With 20 wickets that year, the left-arm spinning all-rounder shared first place in the wicket-taking charts despite having a 5.62 economy rate. In the Wanderers final, he made a significant impact by going 4 for 31 against the Pretoria Capitals to win Player of the Match. In addition, he has the best stats in SA20 history, going 6 for 20 against the Super Giants of Durban in Gqeberha.
Overton has 102 matches under his belt, all of which have come at home in England. The 30-year-old fast-bowling all-rounder has taken 106 wickets at an average of 26.21 and an economy rate of 8.56 in T20s.
On Monday, the Pretoria Capitals announced the hiring of former England batter Jonathan Trott as their new head coach. It is understood that the Capitals are also expected to sign England batter Ollie Pope soon for the upcoming season. The SA20 will mark Overton’s first foray into an international T20 league.