13th African Game | Cruel luck as women’s cricketers denied by D/L
By GARY LEMKE in Accra
Cricket’s weather gods looked at the fixture list at these 13th African Games, the first time the sport has been represented, and scrolled down. Ah, South Africa are playing on Thursday at the Achimota Cricket Oval. Let’s see if we can get Duckworth Lewis involved.
It hasn’t rained at the venue for ages. There are patches of sand between grass that hasn’t quite closed them, but the pitch itself and outfield is good despite that. Virtually next door is a golf course, green and lush. “Whenever it rains it seems to miss us,” lamented the groundsman before the game. “We need it badly.”
Moments after Namibia signed off their score of 87-7 after 20 overs, with Team SA heading to the break with a spring in their step, the rain came.
To say it bucketed down is no exaggeration. Within minutes of the thunder and rain arriving, marquee tents were being dragged down with the weight of the water and it wasn’t long before the surface near the playing area was flooded.
Eventually, Team SA were set a target of 52 in 10 overs. More thunder in the distance, more rain coming. Annerie Dercksen departed, caught behind, in the first over (1-0). Faye Tunnicliffe went in the second over (7-2) and captain Nondusimo Shangase was caught behind first ball attempting a cut. It soon became 11-4 when Jemma Botha was caught behind with just 3.1 overs bowled.
It wasn’t quite clear what the revised D/L targets were as the information wasn’t sent to the camps, so Team SA had decided that the aggressive approach was required. That proved to be their downfall because most of their batters perished attempting boundary shots.
The heavy rain arrived at the final ball of the sixth over. Miane Smit (12no) and Karabo Meso (3no) had put on 18 in 17 balls, but when they left the field they were told they’d fallen one run short
Namibia captain Yasmeen Khan won the toss and said “bat”. With dark clouds overhead and the likelihood of a stop-start game, it was the right call.
Jane Winster, with the fourth ball of her second over, struck first when she bowled Jurrienne Diergaardt middle stump, when Ghandi Jafta caught and bowled Khan in the 12th over, the Namibian score had inched along to 39-3. Wilka Mwatile’s 37 off 41 was ultimately the match-winning performance, but Team SA had done well nonetheless.
“I didn’t feel it was an overly important toss at the time,” an obviously disappointed Shangase said afterwards. “I was really happy with the bowlers. When the rain came and we were sent to chase, it was 52 in 10 overs. I thought we were well capable, but when a wicket fell we had no idea of what the revised target was.
“But, we have belief and I fully expect us to regroup and put it together against Tanzania in our second match on Friday.”
SCORES
Namibia 89-7 in 20 overs (Mwatile 37; Winster 2-17, Jones 1-7, Jafta 1-22).
Team SA 29-4 in 6 overs (Smit 12no, Botah 5).
Namibia won by one run D/L
Photos: Roger Sedres in Accra
