SA blow away Kenya
What you need to know:
- Kenya on Sunday lost their opening Group “A” game of their Under-19 Cricket World Cup to defending champions South Africa at Lincoln No.3, Christchurch, New Zealand.
- The Kenyan lads were defeated by 169 runs.
- Batting first, South Africa set a target of 342 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
Kenya on Sunday lost their opening Group “A” game of their Under-19 Cricket World Cup to defending champions South Africa at Lincoln No.3, Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Kenyan lads were defeated by 169 runs.
Batting first, South Africa set a target of 342 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
In reply Kenya scored 172 with three wickets in hand from their 50 overs.
Raynard van Tonde played a captain’s innings for South Africa knocking a century - 143 off 121 deliveries with 14 boundaries and five sixes. He top scored and was named Player of the Match.
South Africa started their innings on a sour note when their opening batsman, Mathew Breetzke was clean bowled by Sachin Bhudia (1/59) for seven.
Breetzke’s opening partner, Jiveshan Pillay (62 off 67 balls with seven boundaries and a six) accelerated the run rate with his second wicket partnership of 125 with Tonde, the best stand for the side.
Gerald Coetzee (unbeaten 36 off 14 balls with two boundaries and three sixes), Jade de Klerk (28 not out off 23 balls with a boundary and a six) and Hermann Rolfes (28 off 33 balls with two boundaries) did well with the bat.
The other Kenyan wicket takers were Gerald Mwendwa (1/78), Jasraj Kundi (2/48), Jayant Mepani (2/60) and Abishekh Chidambaran (1/57).
Kundi (41 off 53 balls with five boundaries) was Kenya’s highest runs getter followed by Ankit Hirani with unbeaten 35 that came off 58 balls with two boundaries).
Kenya assistant team coach, Peter Ong’ondo, said: “All the boys in the South African side are seasoned players who compete in first class cricket (the longer version of the game).
The pace of South African bowlers cannot be matched by Kenyan players, who only take part in the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association Super League, Kenya’s premier club tournament.
Ong’ondo also said that being the first game of the World Cup, the boys did well to complete their allotted 50 overs.
Kenya’s other double figure scorers were Bundia (19 off 32 balls with two boundaries), Thomas Ochieng (18 off 47 balls with a boundary), Aman Gandhi (18 off 47 balls with a boundary), Aman Gandhi (14 off 33 balls with two boundaries) and Rene Were (12 off 32 balls with two boundaries).
