CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

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CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Fri Oct 04, 2019 10:46 pm

I must say that I do have something of a soft spot for this competition.

It does have a plethora of faults, not least the fact that as a three day format it produces more than its fair share of draws, but it takes the place of the County Championship for me as a proper long(ish) form tournament where everyone plays over an extended period of time so that fans and players can properly get their teeth into it too.

Prospect of a decent final day in the derby game between Eastern Province and Easterns on the cards. Province scored 363 on the first day and declared at the start of Day 2.

Last years 24 wicket man, Basheeru-Deen Walters has made the switch from Border to Eastern Province and got over a fifth of his total for the year in one innings with a fivefer to get Easterns out for exactly 200. By stumps EP had a lead of 266 for the loss of 2 wickets. An early declaration and a push for a win is on the cards.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:03 pm

It was a notional win for EP in the end....but the table shows a draw as Easterns held on with just one wicket by the time the match was finished.

After EP declared on 117-3, all Easterns had to do was bat the day out. A large part of their success came down to Wesley Marshall. Marshall, who was the third highest run scorer of last year's competition, got 71 runs to add to his 69 from the first innings however when he fell with the score at 127-2, Easterns suffered something of a collapse. However they managed to hold on until the bitter end and claim the draw.

True to this competitions form all of the Group A games finished in draws, however EP are top and Easterns bottom due to bonus points.

In Group B KwaZulu-Natal beat South Western.

The second round of games starts on Thursday with Eastern Province back in action against Northern Cape.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:47 pm

The game I have been monitoring this week looks like it might be heading to an inevitable.

Northern Cape got 163 in the first dig with EP trumping them by 122 runs in their reply.

On Day Two, today, Northern Cape have got to 136-7, a lead of just 14. NC's batting has been very poor. If you removed Obus Pienaar's 80* the rest of the batting line up scored 50 runs - that's one player scoring 58,82% of his team's runs.

Poor show.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sat Oct 12, 2019 10:37 pm

2 results out of 2 from this round of matches. Unheard of.

Northern Cape took it as far as they could be expected for a team who had 9 players scoring in the single figures however they only had a lead of 57 by the time Siviwe Gidana rattled through the tail. Odd fact - Gidana turned out for Southern Premier Cricket Champions Havant this Summer.

In the other game Free State had the beating of South Western after SW declared in their second innings. This is largely down to a run a ball 106 for Patrick Botha as he helped his side chase the total of 302.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:00 pm

Don't have much on over the next few days so thought I would keep an eye on two fixtures this round.

First off two teams taking their bow in this season's competition as Border face North West. Border won the toss and chose to bat and their total was held together by 165 by 20 year old Jason Niemand. He scored 48,24% of his team's runs as they got to 342 all out on the stroke of stumps.

Over in Cape Town, Northerns had the best of Western Province in their first match in the tournament. After getting 303 all out, the Northerns then humbled WP to finish on 35-2. Man of the day was Ruan de Swardt who topscored with 75.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:46 pm

This week's match of choice is between 3rd place Free State and 6th place Western Province.

As the table suggests WP haven't been having the strongest of seasons and started today badly by getting all out for 185 in 54 overs - however they rallied back to get Free State 45-4. FS managed to rally towards the end of the day and are 104-6 going into Day 2.

Free State's Thandolwethu Mnyaka probably had the best oftoday's play as he gutted the middle order and ended on figures of 3-33 off 8 overs.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Fri Nov 01, 2019 11:47 pm

In what has been a drab season for WP so far, Qaasim Adams has led from the front - his 160 runs from the first 3 games is his team's highest total and the 13th highest in the competition. He was the main man today as he helped extend WP's lead over Free State.

FS were skittled out early on Day Two for 149 - 36 runs behind WP's total. Western then went on to register 317-8 at stumps with Adams getting 83 - his highest score of the tournament. With WP 353 runs ahead, it seems very likely they will register their first win of the season tomorrow.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:32 am

Just clocked that the last time Adams graced this forum was when he pulled a gun on someone from his own team
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:41 pm

The FS captain tried to match his opposing numbers feats of yesterday by seizing the second innings by the scruff of the neck but was hampered by a lack of support by those around him.

FS were set an unlikely target of 378 - something that looked even more unlikely when they 17-3 after 12 overs. Patrick Botha then strung some partnerships together and put on 74. He was the sixth batsman to fall with the score at 124-6. The tail wagged just enough so that a draw may have been salvaged but eventually they were all out for 233 - handing WP a win by 144 runs.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Thu Nov 07, 2019 10:45 pm

Patrick Botha is on a damn good run at the moment.

After registering their first loss of the season last week against Western Province, they have had a flawless day today where they were on the cusp of having three centurions in a day against bottom placed Boland. It was the captain who impressed yet again with an 196 ball 191. It has been a fruitful year for Botha in this competition. He has now scored 522 runs and averages 104.4!

FS drew stumps on 489-7.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:04 am

A win within two days seemed on the cards at one point - but Boland are just delaying the inevitable humbling as Free State lead by 308 runs.

After FS put on another eleven runs to declare on , Boland were bowled out for just 501-8. Free State were then bowled out for 108 in 47.1 overs, were forced to follow on and then reached stumps on 85-6. Thandolwethu Mnyaka, who stood out for me in last week's game, got 2-27 in his ten overs from the first innings and 3-20 in the more demoralising second innings.

A Free State victory before lunch tomorrow seems inevitable.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sat Nov 09, 2019 11:44 pm

As all but the most myopic of Boland fans would have predicted, Free State romped to an innings victory within five overs of Day Three.

The Free State bowlers dealt with the tail with ease - most notably Nealan van Heerden who got three of the last four batsmen.

This marks Free State's second win of the season.

A more pendulous game played out this week was between Northerns and Northern Cape.

Northerns batted first and got a below par 194 - which Northern Cape bested by 55 runs in their first dig. Northerns came out in their second innings and scorched a total of 393 which set NC a total of 338. At varying times today it seemed like Northerns were going to be able to salvage something - however both teams will probably be happy with the draw.

It was very much a bowlers match but Northern Cape's Beyers Swanepoel was the stand out with 5-40 in the first innings and 3-73 in the second. He finishes the game in third of the wicket takers tally.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:55 pm

After a torrid start to the tournament, Boland had something of a revival today as they got 295 against Eastern Province before decimating their batting line up. EP go to stumps on 99-7.

Boland would have felt a sense of deja vu when Glenton Stuurman got his third wicket in a row to see the bottom placed team 74-5 after 29 overs. However partnerships of 58, 26 and 49 for the sixth, seventh and ninth wicket respectively saw Boland recalibrate.

They currently have a lead of 106 runs and I can't imagine the EP tail managing to eat too many into that on Friday morning.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Fri Nov 15, 2019 11:28 pm

This game seems to be being played in fast forward - not least due to a startling performance for an Eastern Province bowler.

After EP were all out for 119, adding 20 to their overnight score, Boland were humbled to 144 in their second innings with Jade De Klerk registering figures of 22-8-46-7.

Overnight EP are 101-4 and are 130 runs away from a win that looked a long way off this time yesterday.
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Re: CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup

Postby The Professor » Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:11 am

Eastern Province registered a win that looked less than likely at the end of Day One as Boland are still looking for their first victory of the season.

Overnight EP were 101-4 needing 131 and they did not lose a wicket in chasing it down. Edward Moore, overnight on 47, finished with 129.

Eastern Province are now top with Boland bottom.
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