A rollicking unbeaten century by Rubin Hermann handed South Africa A a winning start to their three-match one-day series against New Zealand A after they won by three wickets in Benoni on Saturday.
The left-handed opener carried his bat to score an astonishing 158* off 93 balls – a spectacular innings that included 18 fours and seven sixes – that almost single-handedly took down the opposition.
Hermann scored nearly 70 per cent of the runs in a chase of 230 after the visitors won the toss and opted to bat first at Willowmoore Park, where they were bowled out for 229. Tshepo Moreki was the pick of the bowlers with three for 45.
At the start of the day, it was seamers Moreki and Okuhle Cele (1-47), who made the early inroads that left their opponents on 54 for three.
Further wickets tumbled for the Kiwis as Mihlali Mpongwana (1-19) dismissed early-innings top-scorer Rhys Mariu for 38, followed by Mitchell Hay and Joshua Clarkson, both out for ducks to returning Proteas bowler Gerald Coetzee (2-45).
When Muhammad Abbas was cleaned up by Nqaba Peter (2-52), the visitors were on the rocks at 107 for seven.
However, a fine late innings partnership between Zakary Foulkes (74 off 117 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) and Simon Keene (37) yielded 66 for the eighth wicket to bring respectability to their score as they eventually scrambled to 229 all out.
CALM HERMANN MAKES SURE
Matthew Fisher (4-61) dismissed three of South Africa’s top five, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Jordan Hermann and Sinethemba Qeshile, all for ducks to blow open the game early in the innings.
Then it was time for the "Hermann show" as the opener kept his calm at the other end. He put on 51 with captain Marques Ackerman (26) for the third wicket and then added 64 for the fifth wicket with Jason Smith (18).
Adithya Ashok (3-46) was the man to break that biggest stand, and he managed two more wickets.
However, South Africa’s centurion kept going and produced an outstanding individual innings to seal the win with more than 20 overs to spare..
© Cricket South Africa