Mpongwana and Moreki Carry SA ‘A’ towards victory

Mihlali Mpongwana and Tshepo Moreki shone brightest on day three to help South Africa A (SA ‘A’) zone in on victory in the second and final four-day match against West Indies A at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia on Tuesday.

The pair shared seven wickets between them as the tourists bowled out their hosts for 211, helping set their side a meagre 100 target to win the series.

By stumps, the away side had reached 68 for two, needing just 32 more to seal a 2-0 scoreline.

After Ruan de Swardt had excelled with bat and ball on the previous two days with four wickets of his own and a half-century, Mpongwana and Moreki were the latest to make merry. The former claimed four for 52 and the latter three for 51, while Okuhle Cele added to his first-innings three-for by bagging two for 26.

Their performances came after the South African lower order failed to make too much of an impact on the third morning when they lost their remaining three wickets for just eight runs.

De Swardt and Schalk Engelbrecht saw their unbroken overnight partnership for the eighth wicket add just two more runs to end on 159 when the latter failed to add to his 77 (180 balls, 12 fours) from the previous day and was caught behind off Shamar Joseph (1/78).

Allrounder De Swardt followed four runs later to Anderson Phillip (5/67) for an innings-high 86 off 145 balls (7 fours), with the same bowler bowling Cele for a duck.

It meant the visitors held an innings lead of 112.

And they had the West Indies five down by the time that deficit was erased as the bowlers struck regularly.

It started with Cele having Kraigg Brathwaite caught behind without troubling the scorers, while Kevlon Anderson (20) fell the same way, nabbed by wicketkeeper Sinethemba Qeshile, off Moreki.

Mpongwana then bowled Alick Athanaze for a duck and Jewel Andrew (12) caught by Marques Ackerman leaving West Indies in big trouble on 51 for four.

John Campbell’s 59 (86 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) got the home side to 100 without further loss, but he was then sent on his way thanks to Nqaba Peter’s (1/48) sole wicket.

South Africa’s two star bowlers then chipped away at the lower order and tail, leaving the hosts all out in 54.4 overs. Captain Jomel Warrican (39*) was the only other batter to put up any resistance, though he ran out of partners.

The tourists once again lost Jordan Hermann (5) and Lesego Senokwane (19) early in their innings, but Ackerman (20*) and Qeshile (19*) put on an unbroken 38 together to carry their side to the brink.

South Africa A Squad against West Indies A

Marques Ackerman (captain, Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Okuhle Cele (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Ruan de Swardt (Renault North West Dragons), Schalk Engelbrecht (Momentum Multiply Titans), Bjorn Fortuin (DP World Lions), Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), Tristan Luus (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Rivaldo Moonsamy (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tshepo Moreki (DP World Lions), Mihlali Mpongwana (World Sports Betting Western Province), Nqaba Peter (DP World Lions), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sinethemba Qeshile (Dafabet Warriors), Lesego Senokwane (Knights), Jason Smith (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), and Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins).

Fixtures (all times local)

Four-Day Matches

Sunday, 1 – Wednesday, 4 June at 10am

West Indies A lost to South Africa A by an innings and 88 runs – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia

Sunday, 8 – Wednesday, 11 June at 10am

West Indies A v South Africa A – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia