MTN Domestic Championship
A fine allround performance from Zander de Bruyn handed the Warriors a tight 12-run win over the Eagles at Goodyear Park on Friday, and booked their place in the final of the Championship. After losing HD Ackerman for a duck, de Bruyn and Robin Peterson steadied the innings with a fine partnership of 75. Once de Bruyn departed for a patient, anchor-like 62 the Warriors' innings rather fell away to 241 for 8. However, Makhaya Ntini took two wickets in his first two overs to leave the Eagles' top order struggling - despite 50 from Loots Bosman. It was de Bruyn who made the difference in the end, removing Bosman and picking up two more at crucial times. Fittingly, he effected the run out of Thandi Tshabalala to seal the match. However, de Bruyn, the captain, might be forced to miss the final against Cape Cobras this Friday due to his side's slow over-rate against the Eagles.
A brisk 50 from Vernon Philander and five wickets from Alan Dawson sealed an easy five-wicket win for Cape Cobras over the Dolphins at Newlands who now join the Warriors in Friday's final. Dawson ripped through the top order to reduce the Dolphins to 64 for 5. In spite of a fighting fifty from Hashim Amla, they collapsed to an uncompetitive 191. However Johann Louw and Shaun Pollock both struck to leave the Cobras in trouble at 72 for 4 - Pollock removing Herschelle Gibbs for just 3 - before Philander and Ashwell Prince (40*) saw the Cobras home with more than six overs spare.
SAA Provincial Challenge
A fine spell of 5 for 48 in 11 overs from Alan Kruger helped Griqualand West crush Limpopo by 8 wickets at Kimberley. Griqualand held a useful first innings lead of 74, thanks to Adrian McLaren's 131 and a magnificent, brisk 158 not out from Mohammad Akoojee. Limpopo capitulated meekly in their second innings, limping to 64 for 5 with Kruger ripping out the top order. Johannes Shokane and Pieter Haasbroek offered some resistance, in the process setting Griqualand 39 runs to win, but they cantered to victory in the eighth over for the loss of two wickets.
Western Province romped to what was, in the end, a comprehensive victory over South Western Districts in a low-scoring encounter at Cape Town. Mark de Stadler rocked the South Western Districts batting with 5 for 22 as they declared on 103 for 9. Western Province didn't fare much better in reply and they were indebted to a gutsy 60 from Myles Williamson to salvage a vital first innings lead of 23. Enter Quinton Friend and Colin Birch who left South Western Districts' second innings in tatters at 26 for 5, before ending their nightmare on 107 to leave Western Province needing just 85 to win. Williamson again batted aggressively to take them over the line, with good support from Bob Homani (21) and Alistair Gray (33).
SAA Provincial Cup
Adrian McLaren's maiden one-day hundred, an innings bristling with intent and bravado, led Griqualand West to a convincing six-wicket win over Limpopo at Kimberley on Saturday. McLaren's hundred, from just 109 balls with 16 fours, was a lone effort; five of their top six failed to reach double figures and at one point Griqualand were 49 for 5 in the 18th over. McLaren refused to be contained, lifting three sixes while also receiving good support from Frans Holtzhausen and Alan Kruger whose lovely cameo of 37 injected vital pace in the final five overs. Chasing 250, Limpopo began encouragingly with Sonnyboy Letshele smashing 62 at better than a run-a-ball - but he received scant support as Anthony Mabuya's slow left-arm-spin ran through the lower-order. Limpopo were finally dismissed for 203 in the 39th over.
John Geoghegan's highest one-day score enabled Western Province to record a simple six-wicket win over South Western Districts at Cape Town on Saturday. Chasing 176, the openers Myles Williamson and Bob Homani fell cheaply before Geoghegan's stablising innings; Mark de Stadler propped up the other end with a patient 39 as Western Province reached their target with more than eight overs to spare.