The SWD Cricket team will play their last series of fixtures for the season when they take on Western Province in final Sunfoil Cup Three Day competition match starting at Western Province Cricket Club in Cape Town on Thursday.
In the three day competition Brendon Louw and his team drew all nine matches and are currently at 5th place in Pool B but an outright victory can elevate them to finish fourth. In the limited over competition an bonus point victory can take them to the second position providing that KZN lost in their last match.
Good news is that the team will be on full strength for the one-day match. Jean du Plessis is unavailable due to study commitments for the three day match but will slot into the one day unit. A fit Glenton Stuurman will be valuable in the bowling department operating with Marcello Piedt who is SWD’s main strike bowler for the season.
Neil Hornbuckle and Sammy-Joe Avontuur will be keen to improve their first class records for the season as both are selected for the three day match. Oubs Pienaar is currently in prolific form with the bat. The former SA U/19 and Grey College learner is topping the batting averages in Sunfoil Three Day competition series with an average of 112.28 (786 runs with 4 hundreds and 3 fifties). Hanno Kotze has an equally successful season with the bat – scoring 583 runs at an average of 52.84.
The SWD team for the Three Day match is: Brendon Louw (captain), Lotli Sesele, Neil Hornbuckle, Sammy-Joe Avontuur, Daniel Sincuba, Obus Pienaar, Hanno Kotze, Marcello Piedt, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Glenton Stuurman, Bradley de Villiers and Mthobeli Bangindawo (12th man). Jean du Plessis and Bailey Aarons will be added for the limited over match.
