Mpongwana Magic fires Six Gun Grill WP to CSA 1 Day Cup Final
Eurolux Boland Park, Friday December 23rd 2022
“I feel like those moments are made for me” – The words of Man of the Match and WP hero Mihlali “Popos” Mpongwana. He came to the crease with WP on a perilous 44/4 in the 17th over, and when he departed for a career-best 96 (110 balls, 5×4, 3×6), Popos had taken his team to a final-clinching 239/8, with only 2 balls left in the innings.
The Story of the Day
The 22-year-old Mpongwana, a product of the WP youth programme, was “just chilling” when he got the nod from Captain Wayne Parnell to go in at number 6. It was a great call from Parnell. The Captain himself produced arguably his most telling contribution of the CSA 1 Day Cup campaign, with a supportive 44 (42 balls, 2×4), and backed that up with an incisive bowling spell of 1/35. Parnell and Mpongwana’s partnership of 94 for the 7th wicket was undeniably a match-winner.
It all started poorly for WP on a cool and humid Paarl afternoon. Having lost the toss and being put into bat by GBets Rocks captain Ferisco “Iceman” Adams, none of the top 4 made it into double figures, with Tony de Zorzi (7), Jono Bird (7), the returning Zubayr Hamza (9) and Daniel Smith (7) all falling to a fired-up Rocks attack. Eddie Moore with 33 (55 balls, 3×4), George Linde (17) and Kyle Simmonds (12*) all chipped in with valuable contributions for the visitors. Simmonds put the seal on a gutsy rear-guard batting display by hitting the last ball from Bamanye Xenxe (10-0-52-3) far into the Boland twilight. From a grim-looking 84/5 after 23.5 overs, Mpongwana and the lower-order had taken WP to a highly competitive 246/8.
Xenxe was the pick of the bowlers for the Rocks, with captain Adams (4-0-18-2) only able to bowl four overs. There were wickets too for Hardus Viljoen (10-0-45-1), Imran Manack (10-0-58-1) and the typically economical Shaun von Berg (10-0-37-1)
Only managing to muster 172 all out in reply, the Rocks’ innings started disastrously, as their Proteas opener Janneman Malan (1) chopped on to Beuran Hendricks’ (5-0-32-1) first ball. The chase never quite gathered momentum, despite an excellent 57 (70 balls, 5×4) from Leus du Plooy, and an entertaining cameo of 31 (30 balls, 4×4, 1×6) by the in-form Clyde Fortuin. WP’s orthodox left-arm spin-twins, Linde (4.4-0-23-3) and Simmonds (10-0-37-2) delivered the goods for bowling coach Rory Kleinveldt. Simmonds was particularly impressive in his first start of the campaign, with the key dismissals of du Plooy and Michael Copeland (3). Linde mopped up the tail, with the scalps of Viljoen (17, 2×4), Manack (0) and Xenxe (0). Simmonds’ catch off Viljoen’s steepling wannabe six was particularly impressive.
Whilst the run-out of Hlomla Hanabe (19, 2×4) stirred some interest and controversy, there was no questioning the ever-impressive Tshepo Moreki (7-0-31-2), who claimed 2 crucial wickets with some rip-snorting fast bowling. Firstly it was Fortuin that fell to his shorter delivery, bunting it to Linde at square leg, before the final dismissal of one of the true servants of the South African game.
Farhaan “Fudgie” Behardien, in his final List A appearance, was Moreki’s second victim. After 231 List A matches, 125 First-Class encounters and 204 T20 flurries, having represented his country 97 times on the international stage, it was an emotional Goodbye for Behardien. Fittingly, he left the field through a guard of honour from both teams. There were many tears in the eyes, not just from the legend himself. Farewell Farhaan, we salute you. The far-flung cricket fields of our nation will be poorer without you.
The Scorecard
The Final CSA 1 Day Cup Table
The Final – Thursday 29th December at 13h00 – The Wanderers, Johannesburg
DP World Lions vs Six Gun Grill Western Province
The match will be televised live on Supersport. Tickets from ticketpro
https://www.ticketpros.co.za/portal/web/index.php/event/224a8c0f-d330-4c9a-02f3-62fa271cee09
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