Mixed fortunes for U19s

A disappointing Khaya Majola Week finishes with a 7-run victory over Namibia

It did not go all to plan for the Border U19 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week team, but they came right towards the end as they ended their national cricket week with three wins and three losses, for a 50% success rate.

The team had gone into the week in high hopes, but came up against the two teams who ended up as the best teams at the week and played in the main game, hosts Western Province and Gauteng, on days one and two, and suffered heavy defeats against them.

A first win at the week on the morning of day three was then pegged back by a loss in the afternoon, before the team came together to win their final two games and finish the week in style.

“Overall I hoped for more, but that’s how cricket is, one year up, one year down,” said Border U19 coach Andre de Beer.

“We want to play against those big unions like Gauteng and Western Province. That is where we measure where we stand. So I was happy to face them, but unfortunately we didn’t play to our potential against them.

“But I was really happy to see how the boys fought hard to come back over the last three days. There were a lot of words and positive thoughts going into the players. That’s what I made sure the coaching staff kept telling them, and the team then came right.”

The two 50-over matches were where Border played their best cricket.

Against Limpopo they sealed a five-wicket win, although the batting department again struggled to chase down a low total.

But the star of that game was Border’s SA schools player, Nonelela Yikha, who claimed superb figures of 6/22, which put him among the best bowling performances ever at the Coke Week.

The team then ended their week with a thrilling seven-run win over Namibia.

Border captain Matt Dewar was the star in the match, backed up very well by Yikha, and they made sure Border finished on a high.

Dewar scored the team’s only century at the week and got three wickets in the match, while Yikha scored an unbeaten 71 and also got three wickets.

Dewar ended the week with over 200 runs and seven wickets, as he superbly led the side from the front.

“We really struggled with the bat and didn’t play how we wanted to, but the guys really came together in the last few games, and there was a really positive vibe in the side by the end,” said Dewar.

“I was also really nice to end off against an international team. You don’t often get the chance to play against those type of players at this level, so it was a great experience, and to beat them was the perfect way to end off.”