Low scoring on day one of CSA u17 Rural Week

There was a common thread that ran through the six T-20 fixtures played on Friday, the opening day of the CSA Boys’ u17 Rural Week in White River and Mbombela, with every team that batted first winning.

Jordan Damons wrapped up a win for Eastern Province when he caught the Northern Cape‘s Tiro Ntau off the bowling of Enrique Strydom, who impressed with 3/12 in 2.1 overs.

It was, however, Damons who stood out as the bowler of the day, capturing the opening day’s sole five-for, with a superb 5/12 from four overs.

Chasing 185/8, which included 36 from Strydom, 29 from Andrew Muir, and an unbeaten 25 from Damons, Northern Cape was skittled for only 76, with Louhan Noeth‘s 26 their best batting return.

A low-scoring contest between North West and Mpumalanga produced only 147 runs in total.

Batting first, North West posted only 88/5. Johan Duvenhage made his way to the crease with his side on 23/1 and went on to spend 41 balls out in the middle, keeping the Mpumalanga bowlers at bay while contributing an unbeaten 29 runs.

That also proved to be the margin of victory as the locals didn’t have a Duvenhage to rotate the strike and keep the runs flowing. They floundered and were dismissed for only 59, with 3.4 overs still remaining in their innings.

Raiyaan Pathan led North West’s bowlers, snapping up 3/8 from only 20 deliveries.

Opener Logan Janse van Rensburg scored the day’s only half-century in Limpopo‘s comfortable win over the Eastern Cape Iinyathi, blasting three fours and two sixes in his undefeated 54 off 44 balls.

The Iinyathi were dismantled by a ferocious North West bowling trio, who made light work of defending their side’s 125/7. Frederick Botes knocked back 3/10, while Hlulani Maluleke sent two batsmen packing for only 10 runs. Fayzaan Ramdala wasted no time in cleaning up the tail, nabbing 2/3 in 1.1 overs as the Eastern Cape outfit was bowled out for just 53 after 16.1 overs at the crease.

Boland produced a topsy-turvy batting effort against KZN Inland. They rocketed out of the blocks, racing to 89/3 after 10 overs. With wickets in hand, they tried to further accelerate their run scoring rate but, when wickets began to fall, they decelerated and went on to tally 144/8. Chris Hughes, with 31, and Noah Goliath, with 30, led the Bolanders’ scoring.

KZN Inland was set firmly on the back foot within the first 10 overs of their reply. They ended them on 33/6. Well off the required run rate and with only four more wickets in hand, they, at least, saw out their overs, finishing on 74/9, but that left Boland the handsome winners by 70 runs.

Adriaan Krynauw claimed a cheap 3/14 and Therenzo Jacobs picked up 2/6 as Boland almost doubled up their KZN opposition’s total.

The Lions successfully defended a modest total in a win over Kei. They totalled only 117 all out, with opener Thabiso Mosebi leading the way with 40 from 43 balls, and Declan Steinmann hitting 26. Kwakhanya Jayiya put the skids under their batting effort, however, snagging 3/1, while Awande Sganga picked up 3/29.

Lukhanyo Nkomonye made an unbeaten 31 for Kei, but Kriegler Botha’s 3/5 in two overs undermined their chase and they came up 23 runs short, finishing on 94/6.

Free State also successfully defended a moderate total in a hard-fought win over KZN Coastal. Albie Swart weighed in with 25 as the Free Staters posted 115/9. Then, Dumisani Johnson snagged 3/28 from four overs and Alessio Salvado chipped in with 2/8 from three as KZN Coastal slipped to 100 all out.

The T20 matches continue on Saturday with, perhaps, the biggest question being whether any of the sides can break the winning strategy of batting first.

Summarised Scorecards

North West 88/5 (Johan Duvenhage 29*, Extras 20; Hendré Nel 2/13, Armand Kotze 2/16); Mpumalanga 59/10 (Raiyaan Pathan 3/8, Otlotleng Modise 2/11). North West won by 29 runs.

Limpopo 125/7 (Logan Janse van Rensburg 54*, Tiaan Haasbroek 29; Akhanya Bontsi 2/6); Eastern Cape Linyathi 53/10 (Extras 21; Frederik Botes 3/10, Fayzaan Ramdala 2/3, Hlulani Maluleke 2/10). Limpopo won by 72 runs.

Lions 117/10 (Thabiso Mosebi 40, Declan Steinmann 26; Kwakhanya Jayiya 3/1, Awande Sganga 3/29, Sanele Mphathelwa 2/19); Border Kei 94/6 (Lukhanyo Nkomonye 31*; Kriegler Botha 3/5). Lions won by 23 runs.

Free State 115/9 (Albie Swart 25; Heinrich Hattingh 2/14, Dillen Pieterse 2/21); KZN Coastal 100/10 (Keenan Thirrumugam 29; Dumisani Johnson 3/28, Alessio Salvado 2/8). Free State won by 15 runs. 

Boland 144/8 (Chris Hughes 31, Noah Goliath 30, Extras 28; Abu Baqr Jamaloodeen 2/27); KZN Inland 74/9 (Adriaan Krynauw 3/14, Therenzo Jacobs 2/6). Boland won by 70 runs.

Eastern Province 185/8 (Enrique Strydom 36, Extras 32, Andrew Muir 29, Jordan Damons 25*, Keagan Jattiem 23; Robert Immelman 3/33, Shane Corner 2/28); Northern Cape 76/10 (Louhan Noeth 26; Jordan Damos 5/12, Enrique Strydom 3/12). Eastern Province won by 109 runs.