Mpumalanga Rhinos fall at T20 hurdle
The Mpumalanga Rhinos failed to qualify for the semifinals of the CSA T20 Knockout Competition, finishing last on the A Division log table.
The Rhinos won one and lost two of their matches played at the Pietermaritzburg Oval.
Jon Hinrichsen shone with the ball and Rubin Hermann was in fine batting form, but the team effort was lacking.
Captain Yassar Cook won the toss last Friday and opted to bat in their first match.
The Rhinos were soon in trouble with
Alex Kok (7) and Cook (0) back in the pavilion with 14 runs on the board.
The Tuskers' bowlers simply never allowed the Rhinos to push the run rate in their innings, and the Mpumalanga team scored 153 for six in their 20 overs. Rubin Hermann scored 55 and Jurie Snyman 52.
The Tuskers made short work of the run chase, scoring 154 for three in 16 overs to win by seven wickets. Andile Mokgakane and Malcolm Nofal each scored 52 runs.
Jon Hinrichsen took two for 23 in three overs.
The pressure was on the Rhinos and they had to win their two remaining matches to have any chance of going through to the semis.
Cook won the toss on Saturday and put Easterns in to bat.
Eastern went on to post a total of 173 for five, thanks to a 54 from Juan Lubbe and 48 off just 28 deliveries from Matthew Arnold before he was run out by Hermann.
Tumi Koto and Cook (top scorer with 50 runs) put on 73 for the first wicket.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, the Rhinos won the match by two wickets, scoring 174 for eight in 20 overs.
The winning run was hit by Hinrichsen off the final ball of the match.
Arnold took three for 28 in four over with an economy rate of seven.
The Rhinos final match was against a strong SA U19 team on Sunday.
Again Cook won the toss and elected to field first.
SA U19 opener Ronan Hermann fell (caught Snyman, bowled Thula Ngcobo) with five runs on the scoreboard.
The U/19 team pushed the run rate, despite a collapse towards the end of their innings, and scored 196 for nine in their 20 overs.
Meeka-eel Prince top-scored with 63.
Hinrichsen took three for four in four overs.
The Rhinos had no option but to bat aggressively. In the fourth over they found themselves on 35 for two.
Mohammed Mayet and Hermann (top scorer with 31) kept them in the game and took the score to 67 before they both fell within four deliveries of each other.
The Rhinos' middle and lower order were no match for the SA U19 bowling attack. They were all out for 115 in 17.1 overs, giving their opponents an 81 run victory.
Kwena Maphaka took four for 18 in four overs at a remarkable economy rate of 4.5.