Ken Borland

Assupol Tuks sent their Momentum National Club Championships title hat-trick ambitions blaring out all over the fields of Pretoria as they hammered Western Province champions Cape Town CC by 104 runs on day two at Sinovich Park yesterday.

Former SA U19 star Murray Coetzee put aside months of frustration due to a broken wrist as he stroked a brilliant 111 off 127 balls to stake his claim for further chances in a powerhouse batting unit.

Coetzee stroked 10 fours, mostly down the ground, as he set up the game with Aiden Markram in an opening stand of 99 off 136 balls after Tukkies chose to bat first.

Markram, the captain of the world champion current SA U19 side, continued to impress at senior level as he compiled a classy 59 off 71 balls.

Tukkies coach Pierre de Bruyn said Coetzee’s performance showed the quality of the 20-year-old both on and off the field, having been a late call-up to the squad after regular captain Theunis de Bruyn withdrew due to illness.

“Murray’s had a really frustrating second half to the season but one thing about this kid is that he went through his rehab and really worked hard. He had to sacrifice a lot and he had to get back in line.

“He got his opportunity because of Theunis withdrawing and he used it. Murray’s a quality cricketer and truly professional in his ways, he puts in a lot of effort on and off the field.

“He showed he’s a very mature cricketer because he had limited preparation but still managed to construct an innings like that after not playing competitive cricket for three or four weeks. It showed his quality,” De Bruyn said after the game.

With Johan Wessels adding 52 off just 57 balls, the University of Pretoria posted a formidable 287 for six, and with the all-round attack he’s blessed with, De Bruyn was always confident his team would make it two wins from two games.

A top-class opening burst from Gerhard Linde and Sean Nowak ensured that Cape Town CC were always behind the required run-rate and a brilliant run out by Graeme van Buuren saw them slump to 34 for three in the 13^th over.

Tertius Gouws (2-30) was an accurate third member of the pace trio yesterday and Tukkies also fielded a quality spin trio in Van Buuren (2-31), Ruben Claasen (10 overs for 30) and Markram, and there was never a hint of the pressure being released.

Tom Main scored a bright 51 off 55 balls with three sixes, while Marc de Beer made a defiant 47 down the order, but a Tukkies victory was never in doubt.

The robust Linde was the best of the student bowlers with two for 19 in seven overs.

Results

Section One: NMMU PE Madibaz 312-4 (Ed Moore 137, David White 53, Peter Furstenburg 51 not out) NWU Pukke 186 (Wimpie Viljoen 43) NMMU PE Madibaz won by 126 runs. Crusaders 351 (Jared van Heerden 54, Riaan Minnie 56, Sean Dixon 121; Jan Frylinck 7-35) West End 266-8 (Xander Pitchers 113 not out, Jan Frylinck 46) Crusaders won by 85 runs. University of Jhb 254 (Lee Gruskin 55, Harry van Straaten 44; Philippus Cronje 4-50) University of Free State Kovsies 120 (Harry van Straaten 4-26) University of Jhb won by 134 runs.

Section Two: Tukkies 287-6 (Aiden Markram 59, Murray Coetzee 111, Johan Wessels 52) Cape Town CC 183 (Tom Main 51, Marc de Beer 47) Tukkies won by 104 runs. United CC 236-9 (Bevan Bennett 47, Kevin Bennett 53; Jurie Snyman 4-40) Kempton Park 237-4 (Wesley Marshall 97, JC Fourie 99) Kempton Park won by 6 wickets. NMMU George 119 (Niel Botha 5-30) Maties 123-3 (Mark van Heerden 47 not out) Maties won by seven wickets.

Off-spinner Dane Piedt picked up five wickets, including a hat-trick, as the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras beat the Sunfoil Dolphins by 168 runs in their Sunfoil Series match at Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday to go to the top of the log.

The Dolphins were chasing 253 on the final day to win a thrilling match in which batting collapses after big partnerships were the order of the day.

But a wonderful spell of lively swing bowling by Travis Muller had them deep in trouble from the outset.

Muller swung the ball late and both ways to take five for 21 in nine overs, reducing the Dolphins to 60 for seven.

Piedt then wrapped up the tail, finishing the match with a hat-trick and superb figures of five for 16 in 4.4 overs.

Keshav Maharaj was bowled through the gate by a big-turning off-break for eight and then Mthokozisi Shezi and Craig Alexander both picked out fielders with aggressive strokes.

The Cobras are now nearly six points ahead of the second-placed Chevrolet Knights, but they began the day in disappointing fashion as they were bowled out for 280 in their second innings, having lost their last nine wickets for 87 runs.

Fast bowler Kyle Abbott was once again the destroyer, taking seven for 65 to give him 12 for 125 in the match.

Openers Divan van Wyk (18) and Imraan Khan (21), and captain Morne van Wyk (19 not out) were the only batsmen to reach double figures for the Dolphins as Muller and Piedt formed a formidable duo for the Cobras.

The Knights showed greater staying power than the Chevrolet Warriors as they beat them by 10 wickets on the fourth and final day of their match at Chevrolet Park in Bloemfontein.

The Warriors collapsed to 197 all out in their second innings on Sunday, leaving the Knights with a target of just 71 for victory, and openers Reeza Hendricks and Gihahn Cloete each scored 31 not out as they knocked off those runs in a breezy 18.3 overs.

The Warriors resumed on 25 for three and opener David White (89) and Ryan Bailey (39) fought hard as they added 101 for the fifth wicket before fast bowler Quinton Friend had Bailey caught behind.

Off-spinner Werner Coetsee (three for 47) and seamer Malusi Siboto (two for 27) then claimed the remaining five wickets for just 37 runs, killing off the Warriors’ hopes of setting the Knights a stiff target.

The hesitant, flatfooted Unlimited Titans batsmen succumbed meekly on Saturday as the bizhub Highveld Lions beat them by eight wickets in their match at the BidVest Wanderers Stadium.

The Lions batsmen kept their cool far better on a tricky Wanderers pitch, posting 212 in their first innings to claim a 65-run lead, and then bowling the Titans out for a meagre 110 in their second innings on Saturday.

That left the southern Gauteng team with a target of just 46 for victory and they knocked those runs off for the loss of two wickets in just 9.5 overs, captain Stephen Cook scoring 29 not out.

The gentle medium-pace of Brett Pelser was once again the undoing of the Titans as the all-rounder claimed three for 16 in 9.2 overs for superb match figures of seven for 44.

http://www.enca.com/sport-cricket/piedt-venomous-cobras-trounce-dolphins

Off-spinner Dane Piedt picked up five wickets, including a hat-trick, as the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras beat the Sunfoil Dolphins by 168 runs in their Sunfoil Series match at Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday.

The Dolphins were chasing 253 on the final day to win a thrilling match in which batting collapses after big partnerships were the order of the day.

But a wonderful spell of lively swing bowling by Travis Muller had them deep in trouble from the outset.

Muller swung the ball late and both ways to take five for 21 in nine overs, reducing the Dolphins to 60 for seven.

Piedt then wrapped up the tail, finishing the match with a hat-trick and superb figures of five for 16 in 4.4 overs.

Keshav Maharaj was bowled through the gate by a big-turning off-break for eight and then Mthokozisi Shezi and Craig Alexander both picked out fielders with aggressive strokes.

The Cobras are now back on top of the Sunfoil Series log, nearly 14 points ahead of the second-placed Highveld Lions, but they began the day in disappointing fashion as they were bowled out for 280 in their second innings, having lost their last nine wickets for 87 runs.

Fast bowler Kyle Abbott was once again the destroyer, taking seven for 65 to give him 12 for 125 in the match, and the national selectors are obviously going to have to seriously consider him for the Newlands Test between South Africa and Australia in the probable absence of Wayne Parnell.

Justin Ontong’s gritty knock of 150 was largely responsible for the Cobras’ first innings of 304 and their bowlers showed similar determination in fighting back to bowl the Dolphins out for 332 when they had been 304 for four.

Andrew Puttick (123) and Stiaan van Zyl (99) then combined for a second-wicket stand of 187 for the Cobras and, despite the Abbott-induced collapse, the lead of 252 was way too much for the Dolphins.

Openers Divan van Wyk (18) and Imraan Khan (21), and captain Morne van Wyk (19 not out) were the only batsmen to reach double figures for the Dolphins as Muller and Piedt formed a formidable duo for the Cobras.

–

Lee Westwood will be returning for an attempt at an unprecedented hat-trick of titles, but Ernie Els has decided not to accept his invitation to this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, Sun International announced on Thursday.

While Westwood leapt at the opportunity to try and become the first golfer to win at Sun City for three successive years, returning to the Gary Player Country Club for the ninth time, local favourite Els will not be participating in the 32^nd edition of the tournament, from November 29 to December 2.

Tournament Director Alastair Roper said while it was unfortunate the resurgent Open champion would not be playing, Els had his reasons.

“Obviously as one of this year’s major winners, Ernie received an automatic invite and he was sent that immediately after the Open. In August I met with his management company and they indicated that he was finding it difficult to come back to South Africa this early in the year. He wants to spend time with the family and his kids, who will still be in school. They only break up around December 22 and he doesn’t want to take them out early,” Roper explained at the field announcement in Sandton on Thursday.

Westwood, meanwhile, the highest-ranked player in the field at number four, has apparently committed himself to becoming a regular contestant in the NGC.

“His manager, Chubby Chandler, told me that Lee has made up his mind to play at Sun City in perpetuity. He loves the course, he considers it his backyard and he doesn’t care who comes along, he believes he can beat them there. He’s been pretty unstoppable at Sun City before,” Roper said.

Invitations are sent to the defending champion, the four major winners – unfortunately none of them have accepted this year – and then according to the world rankings, the cut-off date this year being September 23. The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit (Garth Mulroy) is also guaranteed entry.

This year the invitations went as far down as world number 35 Nicolas Colsaerts, with three South Africans (Mulroy, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel) and seven members of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup team cracking the nod.

Europe snatched victory from the United States on a dramatic final day at Medinah, with Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer playing key roles, while Colsaerts made a sensational Ryder Cup debut by shooting 62 as he and Westwood beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the opening day’s fourballs. Roper believes the NGC can only benefit from the hype.

“It was a marvellous Ryder Cup and Europe’s magnificent win bodes well for us because it means all those golfers are on top of their game. They will be confident and the memories from Medinah will still be fresh in the public’s mind,” Roper said.

While Westwood, who won by a mammoth eight strokes in 2010 and by two shots over Robert Karlsson last year, is the clear favourite, world number five Rose has been in excellent recent form and loves playing in the country of his birth, having narrowly missed out on the NGC title in 2007, when he was just edged into second by Trevor Immelman.

“I think there will be real pressure on Westwood. Justin Rose is really hot at the moment, being in South Africa suits him, he has one foot here and he will feel totally at home. But Louis Oosthuizen is also in great form, he’s had a stellar second half of the year and he will certainly compete with them. Plus Colsaerts is so long off the tees that if his driver is working and he’s in the middle of the fairways, he’ll be a challenger too,” Roper said.

But South Africa’s most in-form golfer, Branden Grace, will not be in the field because he was too far down the world rankings at the September 23 cut-off.

“He wasn’t even in the top 50 when we made the cut-off, but he won just after that which pushed him up the rankings. But even at his current number 37 in the world, he wouldn’t have got in,” Roper explained.

NGC field (with current world ranking) – Lee Westwood (England, 4); Justin Rose (England, 5); Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa, 12); Peter Hanson (Sweden, 25); Paul Lawrie (Scotland, 29); Francesco Molinari (Italy, 30); Charl Schwartzel (South Africa, 31); Carl Pettersson (Sweden, 32); Martin Kaymer (Germany, 33); Bill Haas (USA, 34); Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium, 35); Garth Mulroy (South Africa, 172).