Boland opt to bat against Tuskers

Goldrush Boland have won the toss and have decided to bat first against the Moothee Ram Tuskers in a crucial CSA T20 Challenge match at the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday afternoon.

The home side are just playing for pride and hope – hoping that the Hollywoodbets Dolphins can put one over the DP World Lions on Sunday, which would mean not ending bottom of the log should they overcome the second-placed Boland.

For the visitors, the equation is simple – they need to win with a bonus point. Boland come into this encounter four points behind the Dafabet Warriors, who currently occupy first place but with a far superior net run-rate of 2.17 to Boland’s 0.26.

Without the bonus point, Boland will have to travel to Gqeberha to take on the Warriors in the first qualifier, a venue where they were crushed by 87 runs just three days ago. Boland also need to be very careful in not losing today as defeat, along with a Dolphins victory on Sunday, could see them miss out on the first Qualifier altogether, meaning they would need to play in the Eliminator against their neighbours, WSB Western Province.

Boland had won five games on the trot, with the young Lehan Botha leading the way with the bat, notching up 182 runs at an average of 60 and a strike-rate of 130. But the visitors' strength lies in their bowling attack, which is led by spinner Imraan Manack and frontline seamer, Keith Dudgeon. The pair are well supported by the old warhorse, Glenton Stuurman.

The trio have grabbed 30 wickets between them at an average of just 15 runs per wicket. The Tuskan-duo of Wayne Parnell and Michael Erlank have managed just 11 wickets.

Both teams have only a pair of batsmen who have scored more than 100 runs in the tournament, with Boland’s captain, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin, joining Botha, while the Tuskers have 20-year-old wicketkeeper Ntando Zuma and Cameron Shekleton.

By all intents and purposes, Boland should take victory here today, considering that the last time the Tuskers secured a win against the men from Paarl, was way back in 2015, when the men from Inland KZN secured a 9-run win.

MOOTHEE RAM TUSKERS: Andile Mogakane, Malcom Nofal, Wayne Parnell (capt), Ntando Zuma (wk), Slade van Staden, Daryn Dupavillon, Ziyaad Abrahams, Sean Gilson, Renaldo Meyer, Chad Laycock, Bamanya Xenxe.

GOLDRUSH BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Blayde Capell, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (capt, wk), Jhedli van Briesies, Lehan Botha, Ferisco Adams, Keith Dudgeon, Aya Gqamane, Imraan Manack, Glenton Stuurman, Siya Mahima.