Cape cricket is in for a helse SA20 fees this weekend, with MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals playing each other in back-to-back games to determine wie’s baas innie Kaap.
Opening their doors first are MI Cape Town, who welcome their Boland neighbours to Newlands tonight at 5.30pm, before the two teams take the short trip to Boland Park on Sunday at 3.30pm for the return leg.
As it stands, the Royals can lay claim to being the top dogs in the region, having won all three of their games to top the log.
MI CT, on the other hand, lost twice and won just one game.
And while one of those defeats came at home to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, head coach Robin Peterson believes home advantage will give them the edge in this derby.
He says: “When we see the blue flags and stands are full, that makes the players want to put on a show for them. It’s great.”
Playing down the significance of the regional derby by saying every game is big and that rivalries “develop over time”, Robbie P adds: “Both teams being from the Western Cape, we want to have one over them…”
Royals’ Jos Buttler, who won the Man of the Match award in their win over the Kings on Wednesday with an unbeaten 70, says of the derby which also includes some English pelle of his: “It’s always fun to play against your teammates and try and get some bragging rights, I’m sure they are going to be great games.”