He will now replace Tom Abell at Sunrisers Eastern Cape after going unsold at the auction last year.
Temba Bavuma’s performances in South Africa’s 2-1 ODI series win over England have earned him a SA20 contract after he was snub over at the auction last year. Bavuma will take over for Tom Abell at Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Bavuma’s big-hitting impressed the franchise enough to call him in for Abell, who will join the England Lions.
With 180 runs from three matches, Bavuma was South Africa’s leading run-scorer in the series, which was his most successful as an ODI batter. He hit a match-winning century in the second ODI, which also sealed the series, and had a strike rate of more than 100 in all three games. Bavuma, who had previously been chastised for his lack of big-hitting ability, hit 23 fours and three sixes on two of South Africa’s biggest grounds, Bloemfontein and Kimberley, and also led the South African side well.
After his hundred, Bavuma expressed his pride in being able to show people that “I am still here,” and said he had worked with stand-in coach Shukri Conrad on changing his mindset in order to be able to take on bowlers more frequently. His back-foot play and shot selection against spinners were especially impressive, and he later stated that it was one of his best innings.
