Cuylerville win back-to-back T20 titles in final against Salem
Big-hitting Beyleveld achieves strike rate of over 200%
ACuylerville n attacking’innings s Richard by Beyleveld guided his team to back-to-back T20 titles in their final against Salem CC at Shaw Park on Sunday February
11.
The teams progressed to the T20 final after an intriguing triple header of matches at the picturesque ground.
Salem, boosted by an equally pugnacious innings of 76 off only 39 balls by their No 3, Tom Loutz, set their rivals a stiff target of 161 for victory.
Salem did not reckon with the bighitting Beyleveld, however, who together with brother, Ethan, blasted 25 off the last over bowled by luckless Buster Brotherton to take Cuylerville home with less than three overs to spare.
Richard, who is renowned for his big-hitting prowess, scored an undefeated 51 off only 20 balls –a strike rate of over 200% to guide Cuylerville to T20 silverware.
Greg Clayton and Murray Tyson, who opened the innings for Cuylerville, tried to get out of their blocks as fast as they could in pursuit of 161, before the former was bowled by Brotherton for
12.
In walked the ever-dependable Brandon Handley at No 3 and set about rebuilding the innings with Tyson in a partnership of 55.
Tyson was more circumspect, playing the role of anchor as Handley mixed defence with attack at the crease to get the innings going.
Tyson, in trying to up the tempo, was out caught with the score on 63/2 for his 16 off 17 balls.
At this stage, it was still anyone’s game. Cuylerville knew that wickets in hand would be important if they would want to make further progress.
Jurie Norval was next in and lasted only seven balls for his 11 with one hit that cleared the boundary rope, before being caught in trying one lusty blow
too many. At 88/3 in the 12th over, Beyleveld came to the crease to set about the task of chasing down the score with captain Handley.
By now the latter was already into his stride putting on 27 valuable runs with Beyleveld before being caught off the bowling of Brad Wilmot for a wellplayed 55 off 47 (7x4).
It was now 115/4 in the 15th over as Jamie Renton strode to the crease but lasted only three balls before he too was caught off the bowling of Matt Liesenberg for three.
At 128/5 in the 16th, with Ethan Beyleveld coming in at the fall of the fifth wicket and still 33 to get, Cuylerville knew they had to hold their nerve.
Master blaster Richard probably recognised that Salem were starting to make inroads into the lower order and after a careful start off his first six balls faced, he proceeded to cart the Salem bowlers to all corners of the quaint Shaw Park setting.
Ethan (9 not out), who was involved in a 33-run partnership with Richard, happily watched from the other end as his brother tore into the bowling in relentless fashion.
Richard, in taking his side to a fivewicket victory with a six over long-on, hardly built up a sweat deciding that going for boundaries might be a better way of charging to the title.
By the end of his innings and with less than three overs left, he had scored
an undefeated 51 off only 20 balls. Brotherton suffered the most under Richard’s onslaught as the ball sailed over the boundary ropes time and again in what was to be the final over of the match.
Richard said after the game that Salem is never an easy team to beat and that their successful defence of their T20 title bode well for the future.
“Nice to have defended the title Salem’s total was a good one but we are happy to have pulled through.
“It was tough in the morning as the wicket had a good layer of grass but it really became easier to bat on later on in the final. We are on a good streak now after our league title win last season and T20 successes, so hopefully we can carry that through to the Pineapple tournament too.”
Earlier Salem, spearheaded by a solid opening partnership of 27 by Brotherton and Myles Samson, gave notice of their intention to put up a good score before Brotherton, in two minds, was bowled by Frank Norval for 18.
Stocky No 3 batsman, Loutz, wasted no time in taking the attack to the Cuylerville bowlers when he arrived in the third over.
Loutz’s innings was punctuated by calculated clean hitting as he laid into the frustrated Cuylerville attack who seemed to run out of answers.
The talented Loutz dominated partnerships of 65 with Samson (20), who was out caught off the bowling of Jurie Norval, and 27 with Nic Zimmerman (16) who was clean bowled.
Loutz, in trying to clear the long-on boundary in the 16th over was well caught for his belligerent 76 which included nine fours and three sixes.
In the last few overs, Brad Wilmot (not out 18) and Campbell Wilmot (3 not out) scraped 20-odd runs together as the tail wagged to a final total of 160.
Fast bowler Frank Norval was the stand out bowler for Cuylerville with 3/28 off his four overs.
Earlier in the day, Salem edged out Makana Sona who faced only 15 overs after five overs were deducted for arriving late for the first semifinal.
Salem batted first and scored 127 off their 20 overs with Brad Wilmot’s 38 the highest score.
Lukhanyo Sam topped the best bowling figures with his 3/18.
Makana, in their reply, scored 102 off 15 overs. The best bowling figures were from Tom Loutz (3/18). Salem won by 25 runs. In the second semifinal, Willows only managed 91 all out against Cuylerville. The Shaw Park side replied with 95/5. Greg Clayton top scored with 34. Cuylerville won by five wickets.