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Stolk powers SA to huge win over Scotland

cricket27 January 2024 15:13| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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A stunning display of hitting by opener Steve Stolk helped the South Africa U19 team to not only beat Scotland by seven wickets but top group B in their ICC U19 Cricket World Cup match at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Saturday.

Chasing 270 for victory – after Scotland compiled their biggest total in a U19 international of 269 for nine – player of the match Stolk belted 86 in 37 balls, including seven fours and eight sixes, to propel his team to a famous win.

Along the way, the powerful right-hander reached his 50 in 13 balls, the fastest to the mark in U19 World Cup history. His innings included five huge sixes and a four off the third over delivered by spinner Qasim Khan. Khan eventually went for 54 runs in just three overs.

It was a key match for South Africa because they needed to win it to make sure of progressing to the Super Six stage. They achieved this with such aplomb that they will stay in Potch for the next stage.

Stolk – who has been offered a rookie contract by the Pretoria Capitals – was not the only batsman to take South Africa to victory.

After he and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (22) had belted an opening stand of 114 in 57 balls, Dewan Marais and David Teeger put a final gloss on the result when they added an unbroken 122 in 82 balls for the fourth wicket, reaching their victory target with 19 balls to spare to improve their net run rate to 1.11, well above second-placed England’s 0.90. The third-placed West Indies also went through to the next phase.

Marais finished with an unbeaten 80 (8x4s, 3x6s off 50 balls) while Teeger was undefeated on 43 off 38 balls. Altogether 12 sixes were struck in the South African innings as well as 25 fours as the home nation also broke the record for the highest runs per over ratio for a team chasing a victory target of more than 200.

Little wonder that Stolk afterwards said that he felt “pretty ecstatic” with his personal performance but that first and foremost it was a team performance and that “we’re really proud of each other”.

Earlier, however, South Africa struggled to subdue a game opposition after they won the toss and inserted Scotland.

Opener Jamie Dunk and skipper Owen Gould struck 90 and 97 respectively to propel Scotland to their highest total.

Both Dunk and fellow opener Adi Hegde had a torrid time of it against excellent opening spells from South African pace bowlers Tristan Luus and Kwena Maphaka, who beat the bat time and again without success. The pair were only able to compile 27 in the first power play of 10 overs – Scotland’s lowest of the competition – before paceman Riley Norton yorked Hegde (5 in 33 balls) in the 11th over.

But Scotland’s main aim was clearly to build a secure foundation for their innings without losing too many wickets, and Dunk and Alec Price gradually increased the run-rate in a partnership of 57 in 74 balls before Price (18) was leg before to left-arm spinner Sipho Potsane.

Price’s dismissal paved the way for the biggest partnership of the innings between Dunk and his captain, Owen Gould, who added 115 in 125 balls for the third wicket, with both men growing in confidence as their respective innings progressed.

By the time Dunk was caught in the deep for 90 (121 balls, 11x4s), the Scots were closing in on their highest total of the competition. Thereafter wickets fell regularly as the batsmen accelerated the run rate with Uzair Ahmad (23) cracking three sixes and a four in his eight-ball innings while Gould (97 in 89 balls, including 11x4s and 3x6s) fell in the final over.

South Africa began well with the ball but gradually their work grew more ragged as they conceded 23 wides in a total of 30 extras, although they did effect three run-outs in the final over.

Riley Norton (3-48) was the most successful of the home team’s bowlers with Maphaka claiming 2-53.

SOUTH AFRICA: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Steve Stolk, David Teeger, Richard Seletswane, Dewan Marais, Romashan Pillay, Juan James (C), Riley Norton, Tristan Luus, Sipho Potsane, Kwena Maphaka.

SCOTLAND: Jamie Dunk, Adi Hegde, Alec Price, Owen Gould (C)(WK), Uzair Ahmad, Bahadar Esakhiel, Rory Grant, Logan Briggs, Ruaridh McIntyre, Nikhil Koteeswaran, Qasim Khan.

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