Boland Landbou clinch thriller to end Gqeberha tour on a high
After Grey High outmuscled the visiting Boland Landbou in an exciting two-day battle in Gqeberha on Saturday, the visitors regrouped to edge past Pearson in a T20 on Sunday.
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Grey’s batting has been a strength of the team this season and they continued their good from against the farmers, with Marco Giaconi compiling a fine century.
Luke Tait anchored the innings for the hosts, sticking around for 75 balls, before Tiaan Ryke finally found a way through his defences.
The rest of Grey’s lineup found it more challenging, but Giaconi’s 57-over stay inflated the hosts’ score to 222 before Rynard van der Schyff caught him off the bowling of Gunther Schmidt.
Boland Landbou then struggled at the crease in the face of the precision bowling of Grey. Tristan Grundling (3/11), Nathan Howell (3/22) and Xander Elkington (3/23) saw to it that the farmers mustered only 116 in their first innings, still 129 runs shy of Grey’s mark.
Francois Prins accounted for Giaconi in Grey’s second innings, but Elkington took charge, scoring an unbeaten 64 before Grey sent Boland out to bat for a second time.
The visitors had no answers to the questions posed by Tristan Grundling, however. He accounted for six batsmen, leaving Boland Landbou well beaten.
Determined to end their tour on a high, the farmers lifted themselves for the challenge of an in-form Pearson in a T20 clash on Sunday.
Batting first, Boland tallied 139/4, with a brisk 56 runs off of 31 balls by Stefan Conradie the key knock in their innings.
Pearson’s top order was then torn apart by Schmidt, who took 3/16, but Sulaymaan Gangat (25*), Matthew Burton (33) and Luke Hector (37*) got the locals to within touching distance in the waning overs.
With Pearson needing 17 runs in the last two overs, and with three wickets standing, Gangat and Hector did their utmost to chase down the visitors’ total, but the Boland bowlers bowled disciplined lines and lengths to ensure their side returns to Paarl with a win.
17 February
Grey High first innings 245/8 (Marco Giaconi 134, Kian Cambier 26, Tristan Grundling 23*, Luke Tait 23; Tiaan Ryke 1/14); Boland Landbou first innings 116 (Kobus Conradie 30, Henré Swart 21; Tristan Grundling 3/11, Nathan Howell 3/22, Xander Elkington 3/23); Grey High second innings 173/5 (Xander Elkington 64*, Kian Cambier 42, Luke Tait 28; Francois Prins 2/29, Marius du Plessis 2/48); Boland Landbou second innings 118 (Stefan Conradie 27, Kobus Conradie 22; Tristan Grundling 6/36). Grey High won by 185 runs.
18 February
Boland Landbou 139/4 (Stefan Conradie 56, Francois Prins 36; Cayden Wilson 1/15); Pearson 135/7 (Luke Hector 37*, Matthew Burton 33, Sulaymaan Gangat 25*; Gunther Schmidt 3/16, Francois Prins 2/24). Boland Landbou won by four runs (T20).
