Cricket | Badgers Are Back In Business

Written on 07 October 2024. Posted in SA Cricket.

On Saturday at Buffalo Park in East London, the Badgers produced a clinical performance
Against the Tuskers the Badgers won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat, built immediate pressure and bagged four early wickets with the Badgers against the ropes

The Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers are back in contention for a place in the Cricket South Africa Division 2 Twenty/20 knock-out competition.

OUDTSHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 02: Yaseen Valli(WK) of SWD during the CSA T20 Knock-Out Competition, Division 2 match between Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers and ACDC Express Tuskers at Recreation Ground on October 02, 2024 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. (Photo by Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images)

Yaseen Valli and his wounded team, bounced back with one of their most impressive performances in a while after they defeated the unbeaten ACDC Tuskers by 6 wickets at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Wednesday (2 October).

On Saturday at Buffalo Park in East London, the Badgers produced a clinical performance with an 8 wicket bonus point victory against the Eastern Cape Iianyathi.

Against the Tuskers the Badgers won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat, built immediate pressure and bagged four early wickets with the Badgers against the ropes at 42/4 (7.4 overs). A partnership of 71 runs between Kyle Nipper (52 from 42 balls; 1x6, 5x4) and Chad Laycock (57 from 35 balls; 2x6, 5x4) gave some stature to the Tuskers’ innings but the Badgers clawed their way back to restrict the Tuskers to 153/8. Sintu Majiza (2/12 in 3 overs) was the pick of the bowlers for the home side, but he received good support from Kyle Jacobs (3/27 in 4 overs).

OUDTSHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 02: George van Heerden of SWD during the CSA T20 Knock-Out Competition, Division 2 match between Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers and ACDC Express Tuskers at Recreation Ground on October 02, 2024 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. (Photo by Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images)

The Badgers got their run chase off to a solid start courtesy of a second wicket partnership of 48 between the skipper, Valli (25 from 20 balls; 5x4) and Kyle Jacobs (24 from 11 balls; 2x6, 3x4). With the departure of Valli (51.3 in the 6th over) the Badgers were confronted with a test of character. It was however a level-headed innings by George van Heerden (36 from 35 balls; 2x6, 1x4) and the hard-hitting Heath Richards (59 from 43 balls; 3x6, 4x4) who contributed to a match winning partnership of 91 runs for the 4th wicket which enable the Badgers to reach the target of 156/4 from the last ball of the final over.

In the fixture against the Eastern Cape Iianyathi the Badgers after again winning the toss, sent the home side in to bat and with a clinical performance dominate the Iianyathi’s batters with only Nathan Roux (36 from 38 balls; 4x4) that offered resistance. Thomas Kaber (3/16 in 4 overs) was in devastating form with the ball for the visitors as they restricted the Iianyathi to 114/9 (in their allotted 20 overs). The Iianyathi only managed to score eight boundary fours in one six in their innings.

OUDTSHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 02: Lifa Ntanzi of SWD celebrating the wicket of Sean Whitehead of Tuskers during the CSA T20 Knock-Out Competition, Division 2 match between Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers and ACDC Express Tuskers at Recreation Ground on October 02, 2024 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. (Photo by Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images)

The Badgers, thanks to a magnificent unbeaten 105 runs partnership for the 3rd wicket between Kyle Jacobs (47 from 50 balls; 3x6, 3x4) and George van Heerden (59 from 34 balls; 4x6, 4x4) reached the target – 115/2 - after 15.4 overs. The Badgers scored 42 runs in the last three overs to secure a bonus point victory. Two dropped catches did not help the Iianyathi’s cause.

The Badgers will now host the Northern Cape Heat at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Wednesday (9th of October) for a must win fixture to advance to the semi-finals.

Cricket, Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers, Cricket South Africa Division 2 Twenty/20 knock-out competition