Sussex all-rounder James Coles excelled with both bat and ball in his maiden SA20 appearance on Wednesday (January 14).
James Coles scores 61 (34) and takes 2-34 in maiden SA20 game
The 21-year-old all-rounder was named in Sunrisers Eastern Cape's playing XI against the Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday, making his first appearance in the league. Coles was named in the XI against the same opposition on January 3, but that game was washed out following the toss.
After SEC were put in to bat, Coles was brought to the crease in the 11th over, with the score 89-3 which became 90-4 two balls later with the dismissal of Quinton de Kock.
Also read: Who is James Coles, Sussex’s 16-year-old Bob Willis Trophy debutant?
He got into his work quickly, taking two boundaries off Imran Tahir in the 13th over before doing the same to compatriot Richard Gleeson three overs later. Coles got to a half-century off 29 balls, pulling Gleeson for four. He hit two more boundaries off Wiaan Mulder before holing out off the last ball of the innings.
Match 24, Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Joburg Super Kings
vs
- Ball by ball Over
In SEC's defense, he was brought into the attack in the fourth over to bowl his left-arm spin. Coles struck in his first over, as Rivaldo Moonsamy mis-timed a slog sweep to midwicket. In his next over, the youngster got rid of the other JSK opener, James Vince, with an arm ball that beat him all ends up. Quinton de Kock duly completed the stumping. He finished his four-over quota with 2-34, as SEC won by 61 runs and secured qualification for the playoffs.
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Coles became the sixth player to score over fifty runs and take two wickets in an SA20 game. He is the third Englishman after Will Jacks and Joe Root to do so, the third SEC player after Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen, and the third to do so at Gqeberha after Markram and JJ Smuts.
In the latest season of the T20 Blast in England, Coles scored 397 runs and took 10 wickets. He followed that up with 124 runs and five wickets in The Hundred, for the Southern Brave.
Fifty runs and two wickets in an SA20 match, full list
| Player | Batting | Bowling | For | Against | Venue | Year |
| Aiden Markram | 50 (35) | 2-8 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | MI Cape Town | Gqeberha | 2023 |
| JJ Smuts | 75 (38) | 2-36 | Durban's Super Giants | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Gqeberha | 2024 |
| Will Jacks | 101 (42) | 2-18 | Pretoria Capitals | Durban's Super Giants | Centurion | 2024 |
| Marco Jansen | 71* (31) | 2-34 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Paarl Royals | Paarl | 2024 |
| Joe Root | 78* (56) | 2-32 | Paarl Royals | Pretoria Capitals | Paarl | 2025 |
| James Coles | 61 (34) | 2-34 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Joburg Super Kings | Gqeberha | 2026 |
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