18 December 2023
KwaZulu-Natal roared to a third successive win on Monday at the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week in Makhanda, but KZN Inland lost their unbeaten record, although they gave the tournament favourites, the Central Gauteng Lions, a bit of a fright.
Kearsney College’s Ross Coetzee and Hayden Bishop paced the KZN innings, scoring 66 not out and 50 respectively as the side totalled 226 for 7 in their 50 overs. Bandile Mbatha added a useful 47 and Evan Fouché contributed 25.
Jean Upman was the leading bowler for Eastern Province, picking up 3 for 21.
In reply, the hosts came up well short as they suffered their third defeat on the trot. They were dismissed for only 95, with Matthew Poole making 36.
Ntando Soni, who took four wickets in KZN’s win over the Titans, delivered another fine spell to finish with 3 for 11, while Ross Coetzee followed up his good batting performance with a return of 2 for 15, leaving KZN the winners by a large 121-run margin.
In their first two matches, the Central Gauteng Lions had barely broken a sweat, losing only two wickets as they brushed aside Boland and the Free State. It was far tougher against KZN Inland.
Batting first, the Lions lost their first four batsmen cheaply, including SA u19 batsmen Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Richard Seletswane for a duck and 11 respectively. Hilton College all-rounder Ross Boast removed Pretorius and his opening partner Thebe Gazide.
Luke Francis, with 73, and Henricus Meyer, with 41, repaired the Lions’ innings, and Tjaart Mentz later added an unbeaten 34, but Central Gauteng was kept below 200 runs, ending on 196 for 8.
Left-arm spinner Cameron Strudwick did a tidy job, sending down 10 overs and snaring 2 for 24, while Boast finished with 2 for 30 from nine. Natanzi Denenga kept the Lions’ batsmen in check with a return of 1 for 25 from eight.
Unfortunately for the KZN Inland side, their top order return resembled the Lions’ showing, as the top three managed 14 runs between them. The next five batsmen all made it into double figures, but Denega’s 30 was the highest score, just ahead of Boast’s 29.
Opening bowler Fayaaz Vawde did most of the damage, capturing 4 for 31 in 9.5 overs, while his new ball partner, Esosa Aihevba knocked over 2 for 25 in 5.5. Tjaart Mentz took 2 for 30 in 9 as Inland were bowled out for 167, leaving the Lions the winners by 29 runs.
Those results have left KZN top of their pool and KZN Inland second in their pool, which, as luck would have it, means they face one another on Tuesday in the semi-finals.
In another clash of neighbours, Central Gauteng will take on the Titans in the other semi-final clash.
Despite an unbeaten 114 from Benji Hansen, Western Province went down to the Titans, who posted 230 for 9, with Lethabo Phahlamohlaka making 52 and Lukas van Rensburg 43, while Alexander Combrink snapped up 4 for 42 for Province.
The Capetonians tallied 214 all out in reply, with Ethan Kotze making 43 to lend good support to Hansen’s excellent knock. Hernus Marais, though, made all the difference with a haul of 4 for 18 as the Titans won by 16 runs.
North West‘s Ludwich Schuld scored his second century of the week, making an undefeated 117 to help his side to a four-wicket victory over Border, for whom Jacques van der Merwe made 70 and his older brother, Ben, 59.
Like Eastern Province, Free State suffered a third defeat, convincingly beaten by previously winless Boland, while the Garden Route Badgers recorded a comfortable win over Easterns, and Northern Cape powered to a nine-wicket victory over Limpopo.
Mpumalanga finished early after chasing down a low Kei score for another nine-wicket win.
Other fixtures on Tuesday include Boland against Eastern Province, Free State versus Western Province, Mpumalanga versus Garden Route Badgers, North West versus Norther Cape, Border against Limpopo, and Kei versus Easterns.
SCORES
KwaZulu-Natal 226/7 (Ross Coetzee 66*, Hayden Bishop 50, Bandile Mbatha 47, Evan Fouche 25, Extras 20; Jean Upman 3/21); Eastern Province 95 (Matthew Poole 36, Ntando Soni 3/11, Ross Coetzee 2/15). KwaZulu-Natal won by 131 runs.
Gauteng Lions 196/8 (Luke Francis 73, Henricus Meyer 41, Tjaart Mentz 34; Cameron Strudwick 2/24, Ross Boast 2/30); KZN Inland 167 (Natanzi Denega 30, Ross Boast 29, Nathan Beaumont 27; Fayaaz Vawda 4/31, Esosa Aihevba 2/25, Tjaart Mentz 2/30). Gauteng Lions won by 29 runs.
Titans 230/9 (Lethabo Phahlamohlaka 52, Lukas van Rensburg 43, Mohammad Aslam 32, Hernus Marais 24, Modise Maloka 21, Marcus Bakker 21; Alexander Combrink 4/42, Raeeq Daniels 2/49); Western Province 214 (Benjamin Hansen 114*, Ethan Kotze 43, Paul James 28; Hernus Marais 4/18, Tristan Luus 2/41). Titans won by 16 runs.
Kei 66 (Esam Mpafa 25*; Dian Eicker 4/16, Luke Poisson 3/19, Curtleigh Koetzee 2/9); Mpumalanga 67/1 (Rovonne Singh 31*; Qika Nika 1/4). Mpumalanga won by nine wickets.
Limpopo 89 (Victor Sehata 27, Michael Nel 21*; Malan Lubbe 3/14, Luan de la Rey 3/26, Tumiso Seetelo 2/11); Northern Cape 95/1 (Simon Liversage 41, Gift Seane 21*; Nsuku Mathye 1/26). Northern Cape won by nine wickets.
Border 214 (Jacques van der Merwe 70, Ben van der Merwe 59; Zavier van Rensburg 3/45; Berno de Klerk 2/37, Kalego Moloto 2/41); North West 217/6 (Ludwich Schuld 117*, Caiden Seleka 42, Extras 25; Lithemba Noyomi 3/62, Hlumelo Ntlola 2/35). North West won by four wickets.
Boland 246/6 (Riley Norton 84*, Johan Wege 52, Josh Jordaan 52; Kamohelo Mokoena 1/6); Free State 172 (Connor Nel 50, Juan Viljoen 45, Samakelo Lepetho 26; Juanrico Vorster 4/28). Boland won by 74 runs.
Garden Route Badgers 273/6 (Zane Greyling 66, Elro Spies 61, Thurston Murphy 48, Extras 36, Devino Koen 21*; Tshegofatso Nthare 2/48, Parth Patel 2/54); Easterns 225 (Sabelo Mabanga 65, Tristan van Schalkwyk 57, Aldre Huyzers 43, Dean Hackner 23; Stefan May 4/48, Jessie Lewis 2/23, Charl Francos Marais 2/54). Garden Route Badgers won by 48 runs.
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