Career-best performances by Hanno Kotze (with the bat) and Marcello Piedt (with the ball) took SWD to a 15 runs victory against Free State in the Cricket South Africa Provincial One Day competition on Sunday. SWD has now recorded three wins from five outings in this format.
SWD, who batted first, posted 220/9 mainly thanks to his fourth half-century in five innings’ by Kotze (74; 80 balls, 7×4, 4×6). He shared a 96 runs partnership for the 2nd wicket with Sammy-Joe Avontuur who played an anchor role for his 27. Letlotle Sesele also contributed with 30 (from 43 balls). Diego Rosier (4/25) was Free State’s most successful bowler.
In defending a rather modest total Piedt (5/35) produced a magnificent opening spell as Free State slumped to 31/4 and with their total at 97/6 they looked dead and buried. It was, however, a 7th wicket 73 runs partnership between Rosier (88; 90 balls, 3×6, 3×6) and Remano Terblanche (62; 66 balls, 2×6, 3×4) who almost spoiled the afternoon for the home team. Piedt’s final spell together with an impressive performance by Tshepo Ndwandwa (3/42) secured SWD with a victory. SWD suffered a drawback on the morning before the match when their main strike bowler, Glenton Stuurman, had to withdraw from the side due to a bruised finger.
Front Row: Sammy-Joe Avontuur, Loltli Sesele, Neil Horbuckle and Grant Esau
Kotze’s previous career best was 69 (vs Border in the 2015/16 season) while Piedt’s previous best was 4/30 (vs Border in the 2016/17 season).
