JADE DE KLERK POWERS IINYATHI TO VICTORY
Jade de Klerk starred with the bat and ball as he helped Eastern Cape Iinyathi overpower Mpumalanga Rhinos by eight wickets in their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match at Uplands College, White River, on Saturday.
De Klerk's four wickets for 85 runs in 24 overs helped Eastern Cape Iinyathi to restrict the Rhinos to a first-innings score of 256. De Klerk's left-arm spin twin, Thomas Kaber also bagged four wickets as the visitors choked the hosts with spin.
When it was Eastern Cape Iinyathi's turn to bat, Nonelela Yikha stood tall while the visitors' top six failed to bat themselves into the contest. The 21-year-old stroked 14 fours on his way to 104 runs from 228 deliveries. Yikha also shared Eastern Cape Iinyathi's highest partnership with Jade de Klerk. Their seventh-wicket partnership yielded 94 runs. During the course of their partnership, De Klerk registered his third first-class half-century and new career-best score.
De Klerk resumed his wicket-taking tendencies when the Rhinos came back for their second innings. The left-armer took another four wickets for 59 runs in 16 overs as Eastern Cape Iinyathi reduced the hosts to 180 all out. He ended the game with eight wickets for 114 runs in 40 overs. The 24-year-old received the player of the match award for his all-around performance.
On the morning of day three, Eastern Cape Iinyathi lost two quick wickets. Jason Niemand (19) and their first innings star Nonelela Yikha (3). However, despite the early stumble, the visitors cantered to victory thanks to some fluent batting from Joshua van Heerden (47*) and Jerry Nqolo (42*).
Alexander Kok and Thula Ngcobo took the two wickets that Eastern Cape Iinyathi lost in their second innings. Kok was also outstanding for the home side with the ball. He recorded his new career-best bowling figures in a match. He took eight wickets for 130 runs in 48.4 overs.
TUSKERS OUTPLAY BADGERS
Keith Dudgeon bowled the AET Tuskers to a 37-run win over Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers in their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match at Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Saturday.
Dudgeon was at his best as he recorded his 10th first-class five-wicket haul as he led the effort to restrict the hosts to 138 in their second innings. Dudgeon took five wickets for 30 runs in 17 overs. Sean Whitehead was left stranded on 52.
Tuskers stumbled their way to 175 in their first innings after being asked to bat first by the Badgers. In reply, the Badgers managed 152 despite a spirited 63 by Blayde Capell. The low total was in large part thanks to Michael Erlank's bowling. The 32-year-old bagged his fourth first-class four-wicket haul.
In a display of his all-around ability, Erlank scored 63 runs from 142 balls as he shepherded his side to 152 runs. A total that was defended thanks to Keith Dudgeon's skill.
Dudgeon ripped through the Badgers' top order as the hosts tried to construct an innings that would take them to victory. After 11 overs, Dudgeon had taken three wickets for nine runs in six overs. First, he made sure that Blayde Capell (13) was unable to replicate the first innings form that saw him score a brilliant half-century. He followed that up with the scalps of Jean du Plessis and Tyrese Karelse. Their dismissals were 13 deliveries apart. The 27-year-old pacer reduced the hosts to 24 for three after 10.6 overs.
Dudgeon marked his return for a second spell with a fourth wicket. Alindile Mhletywa supported Dudgeon with the wickets of Onke Nyaku and Andre Malan. After 27.1 overs, the Badgers were seven wickets down with 60 runs on the board.
Jhedli van Briesies and Sean Whitehead did what the top six batters failed to do. They built a partnership. Their seventh-wicket partnership added an important 34 runs to the total and took the Badgers to within 82 runs of the Tuskers' score.
Whitehead kept the Badgers in the game with a fifth first-class half-century. The 26-year-old faced 89 deliveries to reach the milestone. He needed someone to bat through the innings with him, but things took a turn when Pheko Moletsane retired hurt. His replacement, Basheeru-Deen Walters was runout before he settled in and Sintu Majeza followed him back to the dressing room a short while later.
Alindile Mhletywa made sure that Whitehead’s efforts were in vain by denying him a significant partnership with Moletsane. Whitehead ran out of partners and his heroics with bat and ball proved inadequate.
On the morning of day three, Pheko Moletsane made sure that the Tuskers pair of Michael Erlank and Tian Koekemoer did not carry on from the previous day as a united front with the dismissal of Koekemoer. Koekemoer only managed to add three runs to his overnight score.
Michael Erlank and Cameron Shekleton were getting into the groove as their fourth-wicket partnership progressed. During the course of the partnership, Erlank celebrated his 32nd first-class half-century. The duo had amassed 30 runs and looked dangerous when Andre Malan struck to dismiss Erlank. That was the beginning of a collapse of mammoth proportions. Three balls later, Shekleton was back in the hutch. Then followed Andile Mogakane, Dilivio Ridgaard and Keith Dudgeon in one over.
Tuskers went from 144 for four to 146 for eight in 2.4 overs. Sean Whitehead went beserk and dismissed all of the Tuskers' batters from No 7 to number 11 for ducks.
Sean Whitehead was the pick of the bowlers for the Badgers. The 26-year-old left-arm spinner bagged seven wickets for 19 runs in 12.1 overs. The five-wicket haul is his fourth first-class five-wicket haul.
IMPALAS OVERCOME STORM
Limpopo Impalas secured a five-wicket win over Eastern Storm in their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match at Polokwane Cricket Club on Saturday.
The home team lost five wickets as they fought their way to 59 after Eastern Storm had set them a 58-run target. Thomas Hobson (15) kept the innings together as wickets fell at an alarming rate.
The Impalas did well to restrict Eastern Storm to 330 in their first innings. The total was possible thanks to an excellent century from Kabelo Sekhukhune. In his 218-ball knock, Sekhukhune hit 11 fours on his way to 102. The 25-year-old had support from Mark Pearse (50) and Danie Rossouw (80).
The Impalas relied on Morne Venter's outstanding form in their reply. Venter scored a match-winning 138 (14×4, 2×6) as he led the hosts to 335. Thomas Hobson and Zakhele Qwabe complimented Venter's effort by reducing Eastern Storm to 61 runs in their second innings.
Venter was awarded the player of the match award for his outstanding innings. The 25-year-old Venter and Sithembile Langa looked assured as they picked up from where they left off on day two. The pair shared a fruitful 52-run ninth-wicket partnership.
During the course of that partnership, Venter raised his bat to celebrate his maiden first-class century. Nico van Zyl broke that partnership with the dismissal of Sithembile Langa. Nine overs later, Venter's praiseworthy innings came to an end.
Divan Posthumus was Eastern Storm's most successful bowler with four wickets for 50 runs in 24.4 overs. Tumelo Simelane chipped in with three wickets for 94 runs in 41 overs.
For Eastern Storm, it's a case of feast or famine when Mark Pearse walks out to bat. Unfortunately for them, this was one of the few moments of famine as Pearse was trapped lbw for only three runs by Zakhele Qwabe. The 34-year-old pacer had the visitors pinned against the wall when he took two wickets in consecutive deliveries in the sixth over. With the dismissals, Qwabe dismissed Eastern Storm's first innings centurion, Kabelo Sekhukhune, for a duck.
Sithembile Langa made sure that Eastern Storm's top four were back in the hutch after 8.1 overs and none of them had reached the 10-run mark. Eastern Storm had 22 runs on the board. Danie Rossouw (13) became the first player to cross the 10-run mark but did not go far after that.
After 14.3 overs, Eastern Storm was staring down the barrel of a gun. They had lost their sixth wicket, this time it was that of former Proteas player Mangaliso Mosehle. They needed Mykyle Pillay and Divan Posthumus to put together some sort of partnership. That did not happen. Pillay reached 10 runs and was out.
11 balls later Hobson struck to take his fourth wicket. The visitors were eight wickets down for less than 50 runs. Eastern Storm had still not reached 50 runs when Hobson bagged his fifth wicket.
When Thomas Hobson completed his massacre of the Eastern Storm batting lineup, he had registered his maiden first-class five-wicket haul with figures of six wickets for 10 runs in 8.1 overs. Zakhele Qwabe was the standout bowler for Limpopo Impalas with eight wickets for 97 runs in 25 overs. Those figures are his new career-best bowling figures in a match.