Maphaka magic earns SA u19 opening win
Captain Juan James and Dewan Marais shared a crucial 131-run partnership for South Africa, but it was Kwena Maphaka‘s masterful 5/38 that earned the hosts a winning start to the 2024 ICC u19 Cricket World Cup on Friday.
West Indies’ captain, Stephan Pascal, backed his bowlers after winning the toss and decided to send the hosts out to bat first. It seemed to be going according to plan when he took an early catch to send Steve Stolk back to the sheds.
Lhuan-dré Pretorius, however, took charge for the South Africans, racing to 40 runs off of 34 deliveries, to help his side to a respectable 60/1 after 10 overs.
However, in the 11th over, the West Indies’ spin attack broke through, and it wasn’t long before Nathan Sealy (3/34), from Barbados, had turned the tide by dismissing Pretorius with an excellent delivery.
Sealy and Tarrique Edwards then combined well, continuing to exert pressure on the SA batsmen and reducing their run-rate to a crawl as they conceded only 20 runs in the following eight overs.
David Teeger played a solid and mature innings under immense pressure. Without the captain’s armband, Teeger still led from the front, mustering 44 runs and weathering 98 deliveries, in a period when his team appeared to stumble.
Sealy was in on the action again in the 34th over, though. First, the West Indies’ lively wicketkeeper, Jewel Andrew, stumped Teeger after Sealy beat his defences. Then, in the same over, an athletic dive and catch by big Adrian Weir secured a third wicket for the spinner.
The islanders appeared to be on top, but James and Marais then unleashed their attack, posting a 50-run partnership in 52 deliveries, before doubling their runs in the next 32 balls.
The newly appointed captain was run out tantalisingly close to a half-century in the final over, missing it by only three runs. Marais, meanwhile, led the South African charge, scoring 65 runs from only 38 balls, with four fours and fours sixes.
Kwena Maphaka contributed some industrious running at the very end of the innings to add on an additional couple of runs. The talented youngster from St Stithian’s College brought that same energy to the fore when he opened the bowling for his side, defending 285.
The left-arm seamer got South Africa off to a flying start, scalping three of the West Indies’ top-order by the end of his second over.
Riley Norton, who began his bowling spell after the first delivery of the fourth over because of an injury to Martin Khumalo, combined superbly with Maphaka to heap the pressure on the visitors. Norton picked up a brace and the islanders were in troubled waters at 73/5 after the first 10 overs.
South Africa’s own innings had proved, however, that there were runs to be scored by the middle and lower order, and wicketkeeper Andrew stepped up and took charge. The Antigua and Barbuda national unleashed a barrage on the SA attack, scoring the first century of the tournament in just 71 deliveries, to thrust the pressure back onto the hosts.
He charged his way to 130, smashing 17 boundaries, which included three sixes, on a day when the maximums were few and far between.
By the time Oliver Whitehead secured a sixth wicket for South Africa by running out Sealy, the West Indies were in control on 190/6 with more than 20 overs to play.
It was only when Maphaka and Norton were reintroduced to the attack that South Africa turned the tide. Maphaka bowled Nathan Edward and Norton followed suit with the very next delivery to finally bring an end to Andrew’s massive innings.
Ntando Zuma, who had come on as a replacement for SA skipper James, who had exited with an injury, took the catch that sent the dangerman packing. It was the third time he had been involved in a dismissal in the innings.
With James and Khumalo going down in the first match, and Esosa Aihevba being forced to withdraw days before the tournament, South Africa face some injury concerns ahead of their forthcoming fixtures.
It was left to Maphaka to cut short the visitors’ attempt at victory by removing Isai Thorne to end the Windies’ innings. Maphaka’s stunning and decisive performance highlighted his progression since he first burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at the previous u19 World Cup, hosted by the West Indies in 2022.
South Africa has won the competition on only one occasion, in 2014 in Dubai, when captain Aiden Markram led by example and was named the Player of the Tournament. There, Kagiso Rabada put his potential on show, returning the exceptional figures of 6/25 in a semi-final win over Australia.
Thanks to the bowling brilliance shown by Maphaka, and the courageous batting of Marais and co, the class of 2024 have got themselves off to a flying start in their attempt to emulate that South African success achieved a decade ago.
The West Indies showed grit and played some good cricket, and they will be aiming to bounce back immediately when they face Scotland on 24 January. South Africa next face England a day before that, on 23 January.
In the only other match on the opening day, Ireland stormed to a seven-wicket victory over the USA, despite losing their first two wickets early on.
Oliver Riley (3/21) was chosen as the man of the match for his part in dismissing the Americans for only 105. His teammate, Ryan Hunter, scored an unbeaten 50 runs to drive his side over the line.
It was a harsh reintroduction to the tournament for the USA, who are participating in it for the first time since 2010.
Summarised Scorecards
South Africa u19 285/9 (Dewan Marais 65, Juan James 47, David Teeger 44, Lhuan-dré Pretorius 40, Extras 37, Oliver Whitehead 26; Nathan Sealy 3/34, Deshawn James 2/38, Nathan Edward 2/63); West Indies u19 254/10 (Jewel Andrew 130, Nathan Sealy 33, Jordan Johnson 21; Kwena Maphaka 5/38, Riley Norton 3/66). South Africa u19 won by 31 runs.
United States of America u19 105 (Khush Bhalala 22*; Oliver Riley 3/21, Reuben Wilson 3/23, John McNally 2/17); Ireland u19 109/3 (Ryan Hunter 50*, Philippus le Roux 23*, Kian Hilton 23; Arya Garg 2/31). Ireland u19 won by seven wickets.
