Ireland veteran batter Paul Stirling is set to play for Paarl Royals for the remainder of the SA20 season. This follows the withdrawal of Obed McCoy from the top-tier league due to an injury.
Paul Stirling, 32, will be available for selection for the franchise’s final group phase match against Pretoria Capitals on Tuesday, February 7. The Paarl Royals confirmed the new signing via their official Twitter handle, replacing the injured McCoy.
“PS: He’s here. “Please welcome Paul Stirling, who will replace Obed McCoy for the remainder of the season,” the SA20 franchise captioned.
𝑷𝑺: He’s arrived. ☘️
Say hello to @stirlo90 who replaces Obed McCoy for the rest of the season. 👋 pic.twitter.com/y2pDOt5Vdn
— Paarl Royals (@paarlroyals) February 6, 2023
Paul Stirling is expected to do a good job
Paul Stirling recently finished his ILT20 campaign in Dubai, where his team, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, failed to make the play-offs. The Irish talisman accumulated 168 runs in the six innings he appeared in during their forgettable debut season.
Paul Stirling previously played for Paarl Rocks in the Mzansi Super League Twenty20 and has extensive experience playing on the African continent. In T20Is for Ireland, the veteran batter has amassed 3181 runs in 120 innings, with his highest score being an unbeaten 115 runs against Zimbabwe in 2021.
It is worth noting that the team is on the verge of making the semi-finals of the inaugural SA20. Paarl currently sits fourth on the points table with 19, the same as the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and the Super Giants of Durban.
However, both of the aforementioned teams have completed their campaigns, with the Sunrisers advancing to the final four due to a higher net run rate (+0.316). Paarl, on the other hand, is hanging by a thread with one fixture remaining and a net run rate of 0.050.
A win over the Pretoria Capitals on Tuesday will ensure their place in the final four, regardless of net run rate.
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