Only three teams unbeaten after two matches at CSA u17 Rural Week
On Friday, no chasing outfit won their match at the CSA u17 Rural Week, which is being hosted in White River and Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Boland became the first team to buck that trend on Saturday morning, chasing down Free State‘s 79/7 in 20 overs with five balls to spare, and finishing on 80/7.
Liam Singleton made it a difficult chase for the Boland boys, capturing 4/15 in four overs, but a patient 38 from 57 balls by opener, Noah Goliath, guided the Western Cape side to a tight victory.
Goliath’s 38 was the second-highest score of the match. Free State number four, Albie Swart, made a similar contribution, weighing in with an unbeaten 39 from 58 deliveries.
As was the case on day one, day two produced only one half-century and one five-for. Both came in the KZN Coastal versus Eastern Cape Iinyathi fixture.
Coastal opening batsman, Kian Topham, faced 70 deliveries and came close to scoring at a run a ball, making 66, which was the highest score yet at the tournament. His effort, and 31 from Jordan Gopaul, helped the KZN side to 128/7 from their 20 overs.
In reply, the Iinyathi mustered just 80 all out. Their chase was severely hampered by Heinrich Hattingh, who knocked over 5/21 in four overs. He received sound backing from Sahl Peerbhay, who snapped up 3/13.
Kei became the second side to win while chasing. They restricted KZN Inland to 97/8 and replied with 98/5 in 17.3 overs to record a five-wicket win.
Lukhanyo Nkononye struck an unbeaten 30 and Bunye Mdumba chipped in with 25 for Inland, but Sanele Mphathelwa laid waste to the KZN side’s top order, removing three of the top four batsmen, on his way to a superb 4/10 from his four overs.
Dillon Guelpa, then, anchored Kei’s successful run pursuit, smashing three fours and a six in his hasty 34 from 29 deliveries. Waleed Ghafoor claimed 3/17, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his side tumbling to a second successive defeat.
Hendré Nel picked up 2/16 in four overs and Ziyad Patel returned 2/11 in three as Mpumalanga limited the Northern Cape to only 87/7 in their 20 overs, with Janko Noeth’s 21 the best the batting side could muster.
It wasn’t an especially impressive total, but some splendid bowling ensured it was more than enough as Northern Cape blasted through the home side’s batting, sending them packing after only 14 overs for 56.
Bowling three overs each, Schalk Human removed three batsmen for 14 runs and Senzo Fillies claimed 3/18, while Noeth followed up his crucial innings with 2/15 from four. Hendré Nel, with 18 not out from only 13 balls, was the lone batsman to exit single figures.
The Lions’ 138/6 was the highest total of the morning session, and the third highest of the tournament so far. The third man to the crease, Ruben Muller, smashed three fours and three sixes in his 45 off 47, while the next man in, Bokamoso Bantjie bashed four fours in his 36 off 33.
North West was limited to only 107/6 in response, which left the Lions the comfortable winners by 31 runs.
In the morning session’s remaining match, Limpopo totalled just 75/9, but that was enough for them to score a 17-run win over Eastern Province (EP).
Only two batsmen, Logan Jansen van Rensburg, with 13, and AJ Galloway, with 11 not out, made it into the teens for Limpopo, but EP did themselves no favours, especially in such a low-scoring game, by conceding 22 extras.
Jordan Damons, who knocked over 5/12 on Friday in Eastern Province’s win over Northern Cape, was again to the fore, taking 4/11 in three overs.
Eastern Province looked on track for victory when their reply reached 38/3 in the 10th over, but they crashed to 48/8 in the space of only 15 balls and were eventually all out for 58 after only 12.5 overs.
AJ Galloway nabbed 3/10 and Fayzaan Ramdala removed three batsmen for 17 runs as Limpopo executed an astonishing reversal of their fortunes.
With the win, they joined the Lions and Boland as the only unbeaten sides after the first two rounds of matches.
Summarised Scorecards
Free State 79/7 (Albie Swart 39*; Chris Hughes 2/13, Adriaan Krynauw 2/17, Tyrique Boois 2/18); Boland 80/7 (Noah Goliath 38; Liam Singleton 4/15). Boland won by three wickets.
KZN Coastal 128/7 (Kian Topham 66, Jordan Gopaul 31; Milani Manya 3/15, Nonophela Gidane 2/26); Eastern Cape Iinyathi 80/10 (Extras 21; Heinrich Hattingh 5/21, Sahl Peerbhay 3/13). KZN Coastal won by 48 runs.
KZN Inland 97/8 (Lukhanyo Nkomonye 30*, Bunye Mdumba 25; Sanele Mphathelwa 4/10, Kwakhanya Jayiya 2/17); Kei 98/5 (Dillon Guelpa 34; Waleed Ghafoor 3/17). Kei won by five wickets.
Northern Cape 87/8 (Janko Noeth 21; Ziyad Patel 2/11, Hendré Nel 2/16); Mpumalanga 56/10 (Schalk Human 3/14, Senzo Fillies 3/18, Janko Noeth 2/15). Northern Cape won by 31 runs.
Lions 138/6 (Ruben Muller 45, Bokamoso Bantjie 36; Christian Deetlefts 2/14, Divan Lombard 2/21, Ayaan Chaudhary 2/26); North West 107/6 (André Dreyer 29, Isah Bulbulia 23; Moremi Radebe 2/23, Bokamoso Bantjie 2/31). Lions won by 31 runs.
Limpopo 75/9 (Extras 22; Jordan Damons 4/11, Yonela Wana 2/11); Eastern Province 58/10 (AJ Galloway 3/10, Fayzaan Ramdala 3/17). Limpopo won by 17 runs.
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