The Gauteng Central Lions are the unofficial champions of the 2018 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week, after beating Western Province by 25 runs in the week’s concluding fixture at Newlands on Thursday, writes THEO GARRUN.
The Lions batted first and set the hosts a target of 231 to win, thanks almost exclusively to a superb 137 by Cameron Shekleton. He hit 15 fours and two sixes in a mammoth innings which almost saw him carry his bat – he was the second last man out off the third last ball of the innings.
Province struggled initially in their reply and looked dead and buried on 146-7, before Thando Ntini and Jason Alexander came together and put on 53 for the eighth wicket, putting Province right back in the game.
Jared Jardine removed both of them in the 48th over, however, which made the win – their second successive ‘main game’ victory safe for the Lions.
There were five centuries scored on the final day and two five-wicket hauls were taken, confirming that the bat dominated the ball in the week.
Apart from Shekleton’s 137, hundreds were notched up by Matthew Montgomery (104 for KZN Coastal against KZN Inland); Luke Beaufort (106 for Eastern Province against Free State); Graeme Bouwer (104 for Mpumalanga against Northwest) and Matt Dewar (102 for Border vs Namibia.
The ‘fifers’ were taken by KZN Coastal’s Prealin Naidu, who got 5-45 against KZN Inland and Sello Molatji (5/38 for Limpopo vs N Cape).
The Gauteng side was rewarded with the inclusion of three players in the South African Schools team announced at the end of the day. Their Bryce Parsons was named player of the tournament, and Kgaudise Molefe was the top wicket-player.
The top run-scorer was Tristan Stubbs of Eastern Province, the fielder of the week Ximus Du Plooy of Northerns, and the all-rounder of the week Marco Jansen of North West.
Scoreboards
Central Gauteng Lions 230-9 (Cameron Shekleton 134, Mudiwa Chanakira 26; Siyabulela Plaaitjie 3-44, Jordan Collier 3-47)
Western Province 205 (Justin Broad 32, Bonga Mokaka 26, Thando Ntini 30, Jason Alexander 33; Kgaudise Molefe 4-28)
Gauteng won by 25 runs
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal 260-7 (Mhlengi Ndaba 39, Matthew Montgomery 104, Thamsanqa Khumalo 53; Wezo Gqiba 2-25)
KwaZulu-Natal Inland 224-9 (James Ritchie 93, Michael Sclanders 45; Prealin Naudu 5-45)
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal won by 36 runs
Eastern Province 210-7 (Luke Beaufort 106, Tristan Stubbs 46; Thandekile Plank 3/56)
Free State 188 (Garnett Tarr 37, Brian Kershaw 50, Delano Williams 30; Nicholas Fowler 3-28)
Eastern Province won by 22 runs
Northerns 243-5 (Ludwig Kaestner 77, Dian Forrester 49 not out, Ximus du Plooy 50)
Boland 194 (Ruan Terblanche 54, Samuel Henderson 47, Kieran Henderson 47, Kieron Williams 40; Ethan Wentzel 3-27)
Northerns won by 49 runs
SWD 169 (Tyrece Karelse 33, Brian Jack 39; Kyle Saxby 2-27)
Easterns 170-5 (Maxwell Meyer 57 not out, WP Myburgh 63; Jean Bruinders 3-39)
Easterns won by 5 wickets
North West 276-6 (Van Zyl Smith 55, Saad Shabbir 55, Marco Jansen 96; Ewan Lombaard 3-48)
Mpumalanga 280-7 (Walimohammed Vayani 34, Graeme Bouwer 104, Jacques Vosloo 55; Karabelo Matlawe 3-63)
Mpumalanga won by 3 wickets)
Border 221-5 (Matt Dewar 102, Nonelela Yikha 71 not out)
Namibia 214 (Shaun Fouche 73, Divan la Cock 27; Nonelela Yikha 3-28)
Border won by seven runs
Northern Cape 188 (Mason Zacharea 61, Garyn Weyers 42; Sello Malatji 5-38)
Limpopo 109 (Glen Groenewald 38; Juan Mpofu 3-22, Garyn Weyers 3-20, Stephen de Klerk 4-15)
Northern Cape won by 79 runs
Photo: Theo Garrun
