Stuurman, Botha hand Boland nervy victory over Dragons

Glenton Stuurman and Lehan Botha both recorded career-best figures to help Goldrush Boland a two-wicket, bonus-point victory over the North West University Dragons in a CSA One-Day Cup match at Eurolux Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday evening.

Stuurman grabbed 6-18 as the Dragons were bundled out for 179 in 43.5 overs after Stuurman had won the toss and elected to bowl first. In reply, Botha top-scored with 66 with eight fours and two sixes to help the home side reach 180 for eight with 62 balls to spare.

Boland started tentatively with Blayde Capell lasting 10 balls without scoring before edging Migael Pretorius (7-1-31-1) to Ruan de Swardt at second slip. Gavin Kaplan (12) cracked to glorious boundaries in six balls but then popped Kerwin Mungroo (7-1-28-1) straight to Matthew Kleinveldt in the covers.

Odirile Modimokoane (9-0-36-1) then castled Aviwe Mgijima (14) to leave the home side on 51 for three. Botha and Grant Roelofsen (39) then added 36 from 50 balls for the fourth wicket before the spin of Caleb Saleka (8.4-1-34-4) turned the match on its head.

Saleka found a gap in Roelofsen’s defences, taking out the offstump after 65 deliveries and then bowled Ethan Cunningham with the very next delivery as Boland slumped to 87 for five.

But then a wonderful 78-run stand for the sixth-wicket between Botha and Nathan Jacobs (28) from 90 balls steadied the home fans’ nerves. Jacobs struck just three fours but the pair’s running between the wickets was purposeful, although the fans in the stadium at times had their hearts in their mouths.

The chase was to take another twist as Boland closed in on a possible bonus point when De Swardt (8-0-46-1) had Botha caught at short mid-wicket by Modimokoane. Seleka then trapped Jacobs and Aya Gqamane (12) in front, leaving Boland needing two runs to win.

Imran Manack (2 not out) and Stuurman (1 not out) scrambled the winning runs two balls before the bonus-point cutoff to send the home side to 19 points at the top of the log.

Earlier, captain Wihan Lubbe top-scored with 54 from 80 deliveries, which included four boundaries. Lubbe shared in two good stands for the visitors, first with Rubin Hermann (37) and then with Lesibe Ngoepe (33).

Manack (9-0-47-1) had Janneman Malan edging behind to Roelofsen with the second ball of the match before Stuurman removed Meeka-eel Prince (2) and Kleinveldt (5) to leave the visitors on 23 for three.

However, Lubbe and Hermann added 65 for the fourth wicket from 111 balls before Siya Mahima (3-0-21-1) had Hermann stumped by Roelofsen, after charging down the track. However, Lubbe found some support from Ngoepe as the pair added 54 for the fifth wicket from just 62 balls before Cunningham (3-0-16-1) had Ngoepe caught by Botha on the deep mid-wicket fence.

Lubbe was then runout with some good fielding in the covers by Gqamane and excellent reactions at the non-striker’s end by Mgijima (10-0-36-0). The rest of the Dragons’ line-up faded away as Stuurman cleaned up.

The Boland captain had De Swardt (21) brilliantly caught at mid-on by Manack, diving full length to his right with a one-handed catch. Saleka edged behind to Roelofsen without scoring before Stuurman castled both Mungroo and Modimokoane without scoring, leaving Pretorius unbeaten on 13.

Boland travel to Johannesburg to take on the DP World Lions on Wednesday while the Dragons host the Momentum Multiply Titans.

Goldrush Boland – Blayde Capell, Grant Roelofsen (wk), Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Ethan Cunningham, Lehan Botha, Aya Gqamane, Nathan Jacobs, Imran Manack, Glenton Stuurman (capt), Siyabonga Mahima.

North West University Dragons – Rubin Hermann, Janneman Malan, Meeka-eel Prince (wk), Matthew Kleinveldt, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Lesiba Ngoepe, Ruan de Swardt, Migael Pretorius, Caleb Seleka, Kerwin Mungroo, Odirile Modimokoane.