If the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras had taken 90% of their chances in the field they would have won the match against the Warriors in the Momentum One-Day Cup with 30 runs to spare, said Kyle Verreynne, batting hero of the hosts, after the 3-wicket loss at Eurolux Boland Park.

Verreynne struck 84 off 76 balls and powered the hosts to 276 for six.

Sisanda Magala scored a boundary off the penultimate delivery of the match to set up the three wicket-win for the chasing Warriors, They ended on 277 for seven. The Warriors chased down 28 runs in the final three overs to win the match.

“It was quite a tough wicket and difficult to score on. It was slow, but once I had 20 odd it got a lot easier to bat on. I would say we had score enough runs. A total of 280 would have been par,” said Verreynne.

“But we dropped about three chances and there were also misfields. If we had taken those chances, we would have won with about 30 runs to spare.

“We have a young good fielding unit and did well in the Four-Day Franchise Series, taking most of our chances,” Verreynne said.

In the match between the Dolphins and the Lions, both teams struck 300s, but Verreynne said that a score in excess of 300 would have been a tough score to achieve at Boland Park.

Pieter Malan (54) and Zubayr Hamza (49) played beautifully in the match at Paarl, although, with the 20/20 vision of hindsight, it would have been ideal if one or both would have batted through to compile 80 or 100.

“I guess you could say it was soft dismissals, but nobody does that on purpose. They both batted well,” he said.

Verreynne said he is working with wicket-keeper coach Ezra Poole, to improve and hone his own keeping skills.

Gihahn Cloete’s century lit up the opening match of the 2018/19 Momentum One-Day Cup after it helped the Warriors secure an upset three-wicket win over the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras at Eurolux Boland Park in Paarl on Friday.

There was also an invaluable half-century by rising young teenage star Sinethemba Qeshile after he struck a critical 54 off 56 balls (4 fours) that helped carry the defending champions over the line in their pursuit of 277.

They got there with one ball to spare in the end, but only after making heavy weather of a chase that began with left-hander Cloete, who made 110 (127 balls, 11 fours), and Matthew Breetzke (57 off 71 balls, 7 fours) handing them a flying start of 110 for the opening wicket.

The match was the first of the 50-over season after the 4-Day Domestic Series concluded last Friday.

And those who turned up for the game were provided plenty of entertainment from both sides as the Cobras initially did well to post 276 for six, thanks to an entertaining career-best 84 from another big prospect for South African cricket, Kyle Verreynne.

The 21-year-old struck one six and five fours in his 76-ball innings to marshal the middle order after contributions of 54 (60 balls, 6 fours) from Pieter Malan and 49 by Zubayr Hamza at the top.

There were also starts for Janneman Malan (23), Isaac Dikgale (22) and George Linde (23 not out), with recently capped Standard Bank Proteas Lutho Sipamla the pick of the bowlers with three for 50.

Cloete’s third career 50-over ton then led the response for the visitors, who shared the title with the Hollywoodbets Dolphins last year, as they cruised along for the bulk of the chase to reach 207 for two in the 42nd over.

But Jason Smith grabbed three for 46 to send some panic to the Warriors’ dugout.

However, 19-year-old Qeshile kept his cool with a composed innings that took his side to the brink, with Sisanda Magala (nine not out) striking a critical boundary to secure the win.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 06: JP Duminy, Ashwell Prince (Head Coach) and Dane Piedt during the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras Training Session and Press Conference at PPC Newlands on February 06, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images)

Dane Piedt will lead the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras in the opening match of the Momentum One Day Cup campaign against the Warriors at Eurolux Boland Park on Friday, in the absence of the injured JP Duminy.

Piedt played in a limited number of white-ball cricket games last season, but he is in the form of his life, having taken 54 wickets in the Four-Day Franchise Series and scoring a career-best 114.

At a press conference at PPC Newlands on Wednesday, Prince said the fact that the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras fell short in their bid to win the Four-Day Franchise Series was tough, but having personally experienced the tragic loss of a good friend in Port Elizabeth, it put things into perspective for him and that “there is a lot more to life than cricket.”

He added that the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras are playing with a lot of self-confidence.

What is heartening, is that 90% of the team that played so brilliantly in the Four-Day Franchise Series, are available for the Momentum One Day Cup.

When they walk onto the field at Eurolux Boland Park on Friday afternoon against the Warriors, the self-belief will be there that they possess the attack to take ten wickets.

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras captured 178 wickets in the Four-Day Franchise Series, with Piedt capturing 54 scalps and Dane Paterson ending with 34.

Another very positive acquisition is that Tladi Bokako, who will return after a lay-off with an ankle injury.

Dayyaan Galiem and Mthiwekhaya Nabe are not available due to injury.

Bokako and Paterson formed a formidable opening bowling pair in the Four-Day Franchise Series and will be a threat in the competition.

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras white-ball captain of last season, JP Duminy, is out with a shoulder injury, but he is on track to play in the second match of the Momentum One-Day competition against the VKB Knights on February 19 in Bloemfontein.

Prince said the team that lost the home semi-finals last season was without Duminy in that match and missed his experience in chasing down a total.

He likes to refer to his team as a kindergarten squad of 2017/2018 that has grown and matured tremendously this season so far. That is one of the reasons why the team came second in the Four-Day Franchise Series.

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras want to play positive, explosive cricket and it would be the case judging from the 13 players that were selected for the opening match.

Zubayr Hamza, Jason Smith are naturally aggressive players, and so is Kyle Verreynne. They are destined to be crucial in the middle order.

Janneman Malan, who recently made an excellent debut for South Africa in the T20 International against Pakistan, will open the batting with his brother, Pieter. The younger Malan is an aggressive player will be aiming to display his talents in his first outing in white-ball cricket for the Cobras.

WP batsman Isaac Dikgale has also been included in the team for the opener.

The good balance of the top-order and the excellent balance in the middle order will give the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras extra confidence ahead of the first fixture in Paarl against the Warriors.

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras squad: Dane Piedt (c), David Bedingham, Tladi Bokako, Isaac Dikgale, JP Duminy, Zubayr Hamza, George Linde, Janneman Malan, Pieter Malan, Akhona Mnyaka, Dane Paterson, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne.

Proteas team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee explained: “Quinton sustained an injury to his left groin while fielding during the last ODI on Wednesday. He will be unable to take part in the T20I series against Pakistan and we are hopeful he will be fit for selection for the Test series against Sri Lanka starting in Durban on February 13^th.”

World Sports Betting Cape Cobras batsman, Janneman Malan, has been called up to replace De Kock for the remaining two matches. Commenting on the selection, National Selection Panel convener, Linda Zondi said: “Janneman was one of the standout players during the Mzansi Super League and has been putting in the runs consistently at franchise level. He is an exciting young prospect, this is a great opportunity for us to continue blooding players at international level.”

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras were leading until the final half an hour of the competition before Wihan Lubbe bowled the Lions to an 84-run victory against the Warriors.

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras got bowling bonus points by restricting the Hollywoodbets Dolphins to 310 and then struck 523 for seven (declared). In the second innings, the hosts compiled 358 for two in Pietermaritzburg.

“The pitch on which we played against the Dolphins was a very disappointing one. We deserve credit that we dismissed them for 310 in the first innings. But half of their team threw their wickets away and they could have scored 600 on that pitch in the first innings,” said Prince.

“It says much about the pitch because we had a world-class bowler in Vernon Philander, one of the best in the competition in Dane Paterson, the leading wicket-taker in Dane Piedt and an in-form George Linde and we could not bowl them out in the second innings. They struck 358 for two,” Prince says.

“We expected the Lions to win and we went to Pietermaritzburg with the goal of winning, but we could not do it on that pitch.”

The World Sports Betting Cape Cobras won six of their matches and captured 178 wickets in the competition. They scored 10 centuries and 27 half-centuries in the series.

“I think we have at least half a dozen of young batsmen who could play for the Proteas in the future,” Prince said.

“The injury to Tladi Bokako was a setback and we had to sign Akhona Mnyaka. Mnyaka has underlined his talent and he is one for the future.

“In general, the Lions had more depth than us and they picked Kagiso Rapulana, Delano Potgieter and Nandre Burger with success from the senior provincial squad. Our squad was stretched,” Prince said.

“Nevertheless, I am very proud of the way we played, although it was not a fairytale ending,” Prince said.

The men from Cape Town had to match what happened between the only side that could catch them and the Warriors in Potchefstroom, but they fell short after half-centuries by Michael Erlank, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Khaya Zondo and Marques Ackerman saw the hosts bat out the final day.

There was little help from the final day pitch and the KwaZulu-Natal heat, meaning Ashwell Prince’s side, who led the standings for almost the entire first-class season, had to settle for second spot after the Lions claimed a dramatic late win in the North West.

The draw for the Dolphins, meanwhile, ensured they avoided ending the campaign with the wooden spoon after they were propelled to fifth by the result, condemning defending champions the Multiply Titans to last spot.

This thanks to strong efforts by their top four that helped them amass 358 for two at the City Oval.

The home side started day four on 66 for none and still trailing the visitors by a substantial 147. Openers Erlank and Van Jaarsveld knocked most of those runs off during an opening stand that was eventually worth 169 that reduced the deficit to 44.

The former, playing just his second game for the franchise, made 85 (147 balls, 13 fours, 1 six), while the latter struck 79 (110 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes).

Both fell on the same score, with a massive 189-run third-wicket partnership then completely deflating the Cobras.

The stand was between captain Zondo, who amassed an unbeaten 88 (137 balls, 11 fours), and rookie Ackerman after he top-scored with 89 not out (128 balls. 12 fours).

The Cape side tried everything in their bid to claim victory, including tossing the ball to Standard Bank Proteas batsman Zubayr Hamza, star opener Pieter Malan and the unfamiliar face of David Bedingham, but nothing worked.

And with the game heading nowhere, Zondo and counterpart Dane Piedt decided to shake hands shortly before tea, ending the four-day season in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Final 4-Day Domestic Series Table:

]]> /hamza-scores-double-ton-as-cobras-target-victory/ Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:41:00 +0000 /?p=12011 A magical double hundred by Zubayr Hamza lit up the penultimate day of the decisive 4-Day Domestic Series encounter between the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and the table-topping World Sports Betting Cape Cobras in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.

The young right-hander recorded 201 (342 balls, 20 fours, 1 six) as the visiting side amassed 523 for seven declared, before the hosts reached 66 for none – still trailing by 147 runs – when bad light ended play with more than 20 overs still remaining.

It was a superb effort from Hamza, his maiden double at franchise level and the second of his first-class career, as his side claimed enough bonus points to ensure they were ahead of title rivals the bizhub Highveld Lions heading into the final day of the four-day campaign.

The Cape side will now know that the least they need to do on day four is match the result of their Gauteng rivals, who are playing the Warriors in Potchefstroom, in order to clinch the title.

And they showed good intent from the start of day three, which they resumed on 245 for three with Hamza on 104, alongside Kyle Verreynne (41). The pair stretched their partnership to 176 for the fourth wicket, before the latter was disappointingly run-out for 88 (167 balls, 7 fours).

However, Aviwe Mgijima made up for that loss by striking 61 (94 balls, 6 fours) as he and Hamza put on a further 95 for wicket number six, with George Linde (20), Vernon Philander (21 not out) and Dane Paterson (30 not out) all playing their part to help the Cobras establish a 213-run lead.

Keshav Maharaj sent down a whopping 56 overs for the most successful figures of two for 217.

It was then down to the home batsmen and they did not wilt under pressure thanks to Vaughn van Jaarsveld (19) and Michael Erlank (46) – the pair taking their side to stumps with all 10 wickets intact.

The right-hander, who made his Test debut for the Standard Bank Proteas against Pakistan earlier this month, was still batting on 104 (207 balls, 12 fours) and his side on 245 for three when bad light ended play early at the City Oval.

By that stage the visitors trailed by just 65 runs in what is their final match of the first-class season.

The Cape side held a lead of just over three points heading into the fixture and they are bidding to hold off the bizhub Highveld Lions, who are playing the Warriors in their last game.

And Ashwell Prince’s side enjoyed a perfect day two, which began brightly through a brilliant Vernon Philander burst that put them on the front foot right from the outset.

The South Africa seamer nabbed four wickets without conceding a run in 14 deliveries on the second morning as the hosts slipped from 293 for six overnight to 310 all out.

It gave him figures of four for 46 in 14.2 overs, with George Linde (4/62) also finishing with four wickets.

It was then over to the batsmen to fire, and led by Hamza, they did not disappoint.

Simon Khomari (14) put on 29 with the in-form Pieter Malan (44) for the first wicket, with the latter then adding 68 with the centurion for the second wicket.

A further 64 followed for the third wicket between David Bedingham (37) and Hamza, who went on to complete his 10th first-class century.

He was still there at the end sharing another useful stand of 84 unbroken with Kyle Verreynne (41 not out).

The hosts reached the close at the City Oval on 293 for six thanks to the opener’s 21st career century.

Van Jaarsveld made 120 (153 balls, 16 fours, 1 six) and shared in a 111-run opening stand with Michael Erlank, who made exactly 50 (121 balls, 8 fours) in his second game for the franchise. Their partnership laid a solid foundation for basement side the Dolphins against a visiting side who are in pursuit of a first four-day crown since 2013/14.

They went into the game with just over a three-point lead over the bizhub Highveld Lions, but were on the backfoot early on as the home openers got away after losing the toss and being asked to bat first.

After their stand was eventually broken by George Linde, who was outstanding with four for 62, wickets began to fall more regularly.

The Dolphins batsmen would have been kicking themselves, though, as everyone bar Sibonelo Makhanya (0), had starts.

Marques Ackerman (23) added 50 for the second wicket with Van Jaarsveld, with 55 following between the latter and captain Khaya Zondo (25) for wicket number three.

After the dismissal of the centurion left the score on 226 for five, Grant Roelofsen (17) and Senuran Muthusamy (27 not out) added 38 together, with Keshav Maharaj (20 not out) keeping the latter company at the close.

Those were the positive words from Faiek Davids, assistant coach of the visitors.

“We obviously know we have to go there and win the match. We have an advantage of three points, but will not be looking at the Lions/Warriors game for favours,” Davids added.

It is the last round of Four Day Franchise Series and the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras have 171.46 points. They are at the summit, but the bizhub Highveld Lions are close enough to clinch it if they beat the Warriors and the Cobras falter. The Lions have 168.42 points. The last round starts on Monday.

Seam bowler Tladi Bokako is still recovering from an ankle injury and won’t be available for selection. Philander, a world-class campaigner, has been made available for the match by Cricket South Africa and Paterson has been released from the One Day International squad.

Both Davids and the skipper, Dane Piedt, have been impressed by the left-arm swing bowler and former South African U19 player Akhona Mnyaka who recently joined the Cobras ranks.

Speaking about the bowling attack, Davids said the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras have bowled fantastically well in partnerships and that is why the team have taken twenty wickets on seven occasions.

“The support bowling for Piedt in the match against the Multiply Titans, in which Piedt captured 13-141, was superb,” Davids said.

“We will have all the bases covered when we arrive in Pietermaritzburg – off-spin, left-arm swing, right-arm fast and left-arm spin,” Davids said.

The venue is one where bad light plays a role but the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras will be focusing on what they can control and play positively throughout.

Piedt said he would give the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras six out of ten for their performance in Oudtshoorn where they beat the Multiply Titans by eight wickets.

“We lost five wickets for 75 runs and we should have had a first innings lead of 200, not 100 runs. We should have won the match by an innings and 49 runs. The phrases that come to mind when I look forward to the match in Pietermaritzburg are ‘ruthless’ and ‘clinical’.

“That is what we need to be in order to clinch the trophy,” he said.

Pieter Malan, who has officially been handed the vice captaincy role in the team, had severe cramps after being the victim of a bug in the previous match, but he is fit for the match against the Dolphins.

World Sports Betting Cape Cobras squad: Dane Piedt (c), Pieter Malan (vc), David Bedingham, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Khomari, George Linde, Aviwe Mgijima, Akhona Mnyaka, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Dane Paterson, Vernon Philander, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne