Du Preez dominant in Ysbere triumph, Van Breda destroys Monnas with six of the best
Big players are expected to step up when the occasion demands it, and that is exactly what Reuben van Zyl did on Saturday in Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s four-wicket victory over Hoërskool Waterkloof in the quarter-final round of the Fain Noordvaal Series.
Van Zyl delivered a match-winning knock of 58 runs, a bona fide masterclass against the Klofie spinners, as the Ysbere advanced to the semi-finals. It was, however, Wikus du Preez‘s all-round performance that stole the show on the day.
Du Preez’s heroics kicked off with the ball, after the visiting Waterkloof had won the toss and elected to bat first. The Waterkloof top order, led by Wian du Plessis (34), got off to a good start. However, the wickets continued to fall just as partnerships started to develop, largely due to Du Preez’s right-arm medium bowling.
Du Preez’s 4/26 in just 7.2 overs proved to be the biggest pebble in the visitors’ shoe. Jared Carr, as reliable as ever, supported well with his 10 overs going for an economical 36 runs, while Nathan Ferreira chipped in with 2/31. The collective effort saw Waterkloof reach only 188 before the last wicket fell.
Come his turn with the bat, Du Preez delivered alongside Van Zyl. He was the cornerstone of a nail-biting run chase with a patient 45 from 109 deliveries, also playing his part in the 114-run opening stand.
The innings went without a hitch until a piece of one-handed brilliance by Darius Maritz in the field sent Charl van Staden (33) packing. Du Preez followed just seven balls later, which sparked a certain amount of panic in the Garsfontein middle order.
Captain Xander Venter, however, pulled the chestnuts out of the fire. Although he only contributed 18 not out, his presence and calmness under pressure eventually saw the Ysbere home in the 38th over.
Potchefstroom Gimnasium were equally impressive in their comprehensive 107-run victory over last year’s runners-up, Hoërskool Middelburg, in Middelburg. Henré Cronje was the knight in shining armour, capitalising on the back of a good batting performance led by the ever-present Caiden Seleka (74) and aggressive Christivan Coetzer (65) at the top of the order. A cameo of 39* by Ruhann Steenkamp also deserves a special mention after it helped Gimmies to a competitive 269/9 in the allotted 50 overs.
Cronje’s spectacular spell with the ball then made it a bridge too far for the Middies. Completing his allotted 10 overs, which cost only 25 runs, Cronje ripped the heart from the home side’s batting lineup with five wickets to add to his economy rate of 2.5 to the over.
Seleka (2/34) and Damian Kruger (2/22) were in on the action again, to ultimately help restrict the chase by Middies to only 162.
Stian van Breda delivered the best bowling performance of the quarter-final round to see Hoërskool Kempton Park soar to a six-wicket victory over Hoërskool Monument. What made it more impressive is that the Kempies’ opening bowler needed only six overs to inflict maximum damage. His 6/25 will long be remembered as one of the great spells for the side from the East Rand.
Monnas’ André van Niekerk stood tall amid the destruction of the batting lineup around him. His run-a-ball 50, however, was his side’s only noteworthy contribution in a disappointing 100 all out.
Sheldon Kruger handled most of the heavy lifting in the home side’s run chase, scoring 44, which enabled his side to reach the target in the 21st over.
Dewald Erasmus of Hoërskool Dr Malan also delivered a top-class performance in the quarter-finals, with the willow, leading the side from Meyerton to a profound eight-wicket victory over Merensky Landbou Akademie, in Meyerton. Erasmus top-scored across the four quarters, boasting a 68-ball 97, just three runs short of what would’ve been a memorable century. As a consolation, though, his innings, which included 11 fours and four sixes, ended unbeaten.
Jacques Nel supported Erasmus with an unbeaten 61 (75b), as the pair’s unbeaten 161 partnership for the third wicket saw the Dokkies chase down Merensky’s 196 with ease. The Plasies’ opening batsman, James Durant, was the visitors’ best on the day, scoring 74 (94b). Xander Schoeman, in his last outing for the outfit from Tzaneen, made 41.
Hoërskool Kempton Park now hosts Dr Malan in Kempton Park, while Garsfontein welcomes the dangerous Potchefstroom Gimnasiun in Pretoria for what promises to be two tightly contested semi-finals come Saturday.
Summarised scorecards
Waterkloof 188 (Wian du Plessis 34, Riley Miller 28, Franco Schmidt 22, Rico van der Walt 22; Wikus du Preez 4/26, Jared Carr 3/36, Nathan Ferreira 2/31); Garsfontein 192/6 (Reuben van Zyl 58, Wikus du Preez 45, Charl van Staden 33; AJ de Villiers 2/38, Ricardo Crous 2/38). Garsfontein won by four wickets.
Potchefstroom Gimnasium 269/9 (Caiden Seleka 74, Christivan Coetzer 65, Ruhann Steenkamp 39*, Extras 38, Henré Cronje 23; Ricardo Ras 2/33, Hendré Nel 2/43, Eduan Strydom 2/47, Herman Potgieter 2/53); Hoërskool Middelburg 162 (Extras 26, Herman Potgieter 21, Lohan Botha 20; Henré Cronje 5/25, Damian Kruger 2/22, Caiden Seleka 2/34). Potchefstroom Gimnasium won by 107 runs.
Monument 100 (André van Niekerk 50; Stian van Breda 6/25, Shaun Nash 2/21); Hoërskool Kempton Park 102/4 (Sheldon Kruger 44; Lejean Banks 2/30). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by eight wickets.
Merensky Landbou Akademie 196 (James Durant 74, Xander Venter 41, Extras 24; Dewald Erasmus 3/33, Damian du Plessis 3/35, Hendrich Jansen van Rensburg 3/49); Dr Malan 199/2 (Dewald Erasmus 97*, Jacques Nel 61*; Rinaldo Bornman 2/25). Dr Malan won by eight wickets.
