Boland Landbou has enjoyed a very good season, and they continued their good form on Thursday with a 96-run thumping of Helpmekaar Kollege at the Sol Plaatje University Central Campus.
In their opening match of the Wildeklawer Diamantveld T20, solid contributions from the Paarl Farmers‘ top order helped propel them to 184/7, with Johannes Goosen‘s fiery 65 off 34 balls their highest score. His innings included six sixes and only three fours.
He and Louis du Plessis got their side off to a rollicking start, putting up 90 runs inside 11 overs for the first wicket before Goosen departed. Du Plessis went on to score 31 off 43 balls.
Matthew Geldenhuys, batting at four, added more impetus, striking seven fours in his 36 from 21 balls before losing his wicket two balls from the end of Boland Landbou’s innings.
Despite the Farmers’ onslaught, John Butner enjoyed outstanding success with the ball, snapping up 4/23 in three overs, including the wicket of the dangerous Francois Prins, who fell for 15 from only eight balls.
Unfortunately for Helpies, they were unable to challenge Boland Landbou’s hearty total. In just 15.2 overs, they were bowled out for 91.
Caleb Seroot and Kobus Conradie led the way for the Paarl side, with Seroot capturing 3/13 in three overs and Conradie knocking over 3/10 in two.
Opening batsman Stian van den Berg top-scored for Helpmekaar with 27, but only Frederick Zeelie and Ruvan van Zyl joined him in double figures.
It was not nearly enough, and Boland Landbou won convincingly.
Paarl Gimnasium vs HTS Drostdy
In another match played at the Sol Plaatje University, Paarl Gimnasium recorded a 16-run win over HTS Drostdy.
Gimmies posted 158/3, with their innings highlighted by two big partnerships. Werner Steyn and Enré van Zyl added 47 for the second wicket before Van Zyl and Paul Schoeman combined for 82 for the third wicket, with their stand ending off the second-last ball of the innings.
Van Zyl was undefeated, with 70 off 60 balls, including six fours and a six, while Schoeman’s entertaining knock featured three sixes and two fours and brought him 48 from just 25 deliveries.
Karel Hugo picked up 1/20, Bryan Cochrane 1/21, and Leonaydio Mackenzie 1/22.
Jean le Roux then ensured Drostdy’s run chase never quite came together. The second-change bowler removed three of the top-four batsmen for single-figure scores as the Worcester side stumbled to 14/4 inside the first four overs. He went on to finish with a match-winning 5/15 from three overs.
Stephan Steyn and Adriaan Krynauw stopped the rot with a 70-run fifth-wicket partnership before Steyn’s counterattacking innings ended. He had cracked three sixes and three fours in his 43 off 39 balls.
Krynauw and Leonaydio Mackenzie continued the good work for Drostdy, adding 48 runs, before Mackenzie was caught and bowled by De Waal Vivier for 35. His 17-ball stay included four fours and two sixes. Four runs later, Jean le Roux accounted for Krynauw, whose contribution was 36 off 34 deliveries.
HTS Drostdy finished on 142/9, with De Waal Vivier backing up Jean le Roux’s superb bowling with a valuable contribution of 3/24 from four overs, which included a maiden.
Hoërskool Diamantveld vs Hoërskool Kempton Park
In a mid-evening game, played on the Diamond Oval, the hosts, Hoërskool Diamantveld, fell to a 21-run loss against Hoërskool Kempton Park.
Kempies tallied 166/5, with Sheldon Kruger and Ethan Kotze combining for an 89-run third-wicket partnership.
Kotze was Kempton Park’s leading scorer, blasting four sixes and two fours in his 59 from only 43 balls, while Kruger chipped in with 45 from 41.
Both fell victim to Hanru Rademeyer, who was the best of the Diamantveld bowlers, capturing 4/22 from his four overs.
In reply, the top six in the home side’s batting order all made it into double figures, but, apart from Rademeyer, they didn’t convert those starts into big enough scores.
Rademeyer went hard at the Kempies’ bowlers, charging to 41 off 22 balls, with four fours and two sixes, while Francois Holtzhausen made 23 and Ruben Viljoen 21, both at roughly a run-a-ball.
Towards the end of Diamantveld’s innings, Arno Mostert struck three fours in his 17 not out off 11 balls, but by then Kempton Park had the contest under control. They bowled tidily, never allowing the batsmen, apart from Rademeyer, to take charge.
Xavier van Biljon, with 2/22 from three overs, returned the best figures. William van den Berg, with 1/22 in four, and Francois Marais, with 0/19 in four, placed heavy pressure on the Diamantveld batting.
Summarised Scorecards:
Boland Landbou 184/7 (Johannes Goosen 65, Matthew Geldenhuys 36, Louis du Plessis 31; John Butner 4/23); Helpmekaar Kollege 91/10 (Stian van den Berg 23; Kobus Conradie 3/10, Caleb Seroot 3/13). Boland Landbou won by 96 runs.
Paarl Gimnasium 158/3 (Enré van Zyl 70*, Paul Schoeman 48; Karel Hugo 1/20); HTS Drostdy 142/9 (Stephan Steyn 43, Adriaan Krynauw 36, Leonaydio Mackenzie 35; Jean le Roux 5/15, De Waal Vivier 3/24). Paarl Gimnasium won by 16 runs.
Hoërskool Kempton Park 166/5 (Ethan Kotze 59, Sheldon Kruger 45, Anthony Stockigt 20; Hanru Rademeyer 4/22); Hoërskool Diamantveld 145/5 (Hanru Rademeyer 41, Francois Holtzhausen 23, Ruben Viljoen 21; Xavier van Biljon 2/22). Hoërskool Kempton Park won by 21 runs.
