Four unbeaten sides left at the Khaya Majola Week
Only four teams managed to keep their unbeaten records intact after the first three days of the annual Khaya Majola Week hosted in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
The four teams Gauteng, Eastern Province, Northerns and Western Province will therefore also play in the two main matches of the fourth day of the week. Gauteng, who is the only side who managed victories in their four matches thus far, will face Western Province at Michaelhouse’s Hannahs Oval.
Northerns and Eastern Province will face off at the Gathorne Oval at Michaelhouse in another match that promises to go to the wire. Besides these four teams, the hosts KwaZulu-Natal Inland was the only other team that managed to win both their T20-matches on the third day.
Northerns’ Christiaan Oberholzer (5/22) produced an extraordinary performance in his side’s victory over Limpopo. The leg spinner did not only pick up the only five-wicket haul of the day, but also completed a hat-trick.
Oberholzer removed Mubin Patel (19), Saba Mridha (9) and LJ Fick (0) with his last three deliveries in the ninth over to complete his hat-trick. He received assistance from Wisani Mushwana with his first two wickets before trapping Fick leg before wicket.
In his very next over he removed Gerhardus Fourie (10) and Tiaan Enslin (1) from the crease with successive deliveries to stand on the brink of completing another hat-trick.
Oberholzer also made a valuable contribution of 31 runs with the bat in his side’s victory. Only in-form opening batsman Jordan Hermann (35*) made a bigger contribution against Limpopo.
Northerns defeated Border by 58 runs in the morning session with Simeon de Bruyn (78) producing the highest score of the third day. De Bruyn shared a 113-run partnership with Hanu Viljoen (40) over the third wicket.
The hosts’ SA u19 fast bowler, Mondli Khumalo, showcased his skill bowling at the death by restricting South Western Districts to only one run in the last over of their match to secure his side a victory against the odds.
SWD needed only nine runs from the final over with all ten wickets still in hand to grab victory. Jhedli van Briesies (31) and Lleyton Avontuur (30) lost their wickets in the final over while Khumalo was piling on the pressure.
South Western Districts’ Heath Richards might not be a part-time bowler anymore. Richards picked up three of the hosts wickets for a mere six runs and assisted Kevin de Kock (4/23) to restrict KZN Inland to only 107/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Gauteng’s Heinrigh Pieterse enjoyed a good day with the willow against Easterns (65) and Mpumalanga (33). Eastern Province’s Aiden Meyer’s (4/7) performance with the ball in hand against Namibia also kept his side on the winning path.
PHOTO: Theo Garrun
Summarised Scorecards (T20):
Round 1
Gauteng 166/5 (Heinrigh Pieterse 65, Jack Lees 43, Michael Copeland 39*); Easterns 130/8 (Neil Bothma 50, WP Myburgh 36*; Heinrigh Pieterse 3/24). Gauteng won by 36 runs.
Northerns 184/5 (Simeon de Bruyn 78, Hanu Viljoen 40; Nathan Wolff 1/18); Border 126/3 (Stuart Els 41, Watson Challen 35, Emihle Mgoqi 22*; Zeeshan Ismail 1/10). Northerns won by 58 runs.
KwaZulu-Natal 138/9 (Cade Carmichael 34, Jeremy Martins 24; Tyrese Karelse 3/13, Kevin de Kock 2/21); South Western Districts 140/6 (Heath Richards 48, Tyrese Karelse 36; Jeremy Martins 3/11). South Western Districts won by four wickets.
Eastern Province 125/6 (Sonwabile Tshona 40, Aiden Meyer 27, James Mullins 26; Nicol Loftie-Eaton 2/21); Namibia 85/9 (Ramon Wilmot 25, Dian Neethling 21; Aiden Meyer 4/7, Siphesihle Madlongolwana 3/11). Eastern Province won by 40 runs.
KwaZulu-Natal Inland 152/4 (Andile Simelane 45, Nicholas Hatten 42, Jaques van der Walt 38*); Northern Cape 112/6 (Foster Lubbe 31, Orapeleng Mtlhoaring 25, Boitumelo Melesi 24; Michael Frost 2/17). KwaZulu-Natal Inland won by 40 runs.
Boland 128/4 (Ruan Terblanche 53*, Andrew Whaits 30, Ruben Senekal 23; Jannie Claassens 2/15); North West 129/2 (Estiaan Schonveldt 71*, Phemelo Sepati 34; Achille Cloete 1/11). North West won by eight wickets.
Mpumalanga 92 (Wali Vayani 32; Ruan Cronjé 3/8, Pheko Moletsane 3/11, Aphiwe Nqwani 3/22); Free State 96/2 (Reeza Alexander 50*, Corné Viljoen 25; Akhulile Makatu 1/20). Free State won by eight wickets.
Limpopo 57 (Nhlamulo Mboweni 30; Raees Carr 4/8); Western Province 58/1 (Isma-eel Prince 19; Dewald Dumon 1/8). Western Province won by nine wickets.
Round 2
Boland 157/3 (Andrew Whaits 65, Ruben Senekal 46*, Juan Wilson 29*; Mauritius Ngupita 1/16); Namibia 110/8 (Dian Neethling 32, Divan la Cock 22, Nicol Loftie-Eaton 20; Anele Matya 3/18, Gillad Oved 2/28). Boland won by 47 runs.
Free State 136/5 (Pheko Moletsane 32*, Aphiwe Nqwani 28, Marco de Kock 24; Badaal Parag 2/25, Nsizwa Motsogi 2/27); Easterns 88/6 (Leander Lubbe 37; Brian Thaele 1/11, Michael Kershaw 1/13). Easterns won by four wickets (D/L-method).
Gauteng 138/9 (Cameron Rowe 36, Heinrigh Pieterse 33; Slindile Radebe 2/19, Zuan Swart 2/22, Jacques Vosloo 2/30); Mpumalanga 72/6 (Wali Vayani 20, Neil Henning 20; Lucky Nhleko 3/18). Gauteng won by 23 runs (D/L-method).
KwaZulu-Natal Inland 107/8 (Nicholas Hatten 50, Andile Zondi 29; Kevin de Kock 4/23, Heath Richards 3/6); South Western Districts 76/2 (Jhedli van Briesies 31, Lleyton Avontuur 30; Mondli Khumalo 1/10). KwaZulu-Natal Inland won by seven runs (D/L-method).
Limpopo 76 (Thomas Mayes 22; Christiaan Oberholzer 5/22, Kagiso Ngwenya 4/15); Northerns 77/1 (Jordan Hermann 35*, Christiaan Oberholzer 31; Ricardo Booysen 1/13). Northerns won by nine wickets.
North West 124/7 (Christopher de Freitas 58, Francois Viviers 21*; Tiaan van Vuuren 2/21); Eastern Province 125/2 (Nicholas Keevy 59*, Luke Beaufort 36; Odirile Modikoane 1/20). Eastern Province won by eight wickets.
Border 130/7 (Stuart Els 30, Butsha Mfazwe 29, Emihle Mgoqi 28; Ali Shaik 2/21, Guy Sheena 2/24); Western Province 61/1 (Jonathan Bird 27*; Nathan Wolff 1/18). Western Province won by nine wickets (D/L-method).
Northern Cape 131/6 (Erlank Barnard 74*, Foster Lubbe 23; Jordan Hendrikse 2/29); KwaZulu-Natal 113/8 (Jeremy Martins 44, Cade Carmichael 23; Boitumelo Melesi 2/8, Michael Jantjies 2/15). KwaZulu-Natal won by two wickets (D/L-method).
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