The Khaya Majola Week's in Stellenbosch and, aside from the weather, it's as good as it gets

 

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You’ve got to find something to complain about if you are from Joburg and you are watching cricket in what has to be the most spectacular setting for a cluster of fields anywhere in the world, even if it’s just the weather.

 I’m at the U19 Khaya Majola cricket week, which is being played mainly at the University of Stellenbosch, but also at other grounds in and around the historic town, including Bridge House in Franschoek – on my list of the most beautiful school sportsgrounds in the country.

 I spent the 1^st day at Maties on Thursday, and it was magnificent. You know that chequered pattern they achieve by criss-crossing the direction of mowing the grass? Apply that to the biggest lawn you have ever seen in your life. Then in the centre of each there’s a pristine square with those three sticks at each end that tell you this is the site of the special game (just like the circle in the middle of a field tells you it’s for the beautiful game), and you have an idea of what it looks like at ground level.

 But it’s up above that makes this place really special. The ground lies between the Eersterivier and the foothills of the Hottentots-Holland mountains and the Jonkershoek nature reserve and they are so close you can almost touch them. When compiling a list of the most beautiful places to watch sport, as I’ve done – see here -  the Western Cape has the unfair advantage of those mountain backgrounds, but at the Maties Coetzeberg complex they aren’t in the background, they’re right there!

 I took a walk around the edge of that vast lawn on Thursday and the ground starts rising just metres beyond the Southern boundaries of the of the main oval and the D fields, and the kloof vegetation starts there too. There were spectators on camping chairs in the shade of the trees there, between the pristine lawns and the craggy cliffs behind them.

 Which brings me to the weather. The worst conditions to be out and about in, when it’s not cold and raining, is when it’s stiflingly hot, or when the wind is blowing you off your feet. Guess what? We had both in Stellenbosch on Thursday. All day long.

 I’m carping, of course, it was great to be watching cricket at this level again, after one year off and one with no spectators due to Covid, Stellenbosch is as good a place as it gets for that.

 And there were players on day 1 who caught the eye. Potch Volkskool and Northwest batsman, Ludwich Schuld, was the standout. He made 119 not out, against a vaunted Easter Province attack, off just 95 balls, including 10 sixes and four 4s. He is certainly one to watch.

 There was one other hundred on the opening day – Ontlametse Kesiamang got 102 for Northern Cape against Border Kei. There were another six half centuries made on a day that generally belonged to the batsmen.

 There were two five wicket hauls – the Lions’.Kwena Maphaka took 5/36 in their win over KZN Inland, and Nsaka Mattye took 5/19 for Limpopo against the Garden Route Badgers (formerly SWD).

 The win for the Central Gauteng Lions over KZN Coastal, and Western Province’s 186-run victory over Free State meant that they are early front runners for spots in the unofficial final come Sunday.

 Summarised 1^st day scores

 Western Province 248 (Bongile Mfunelwa 91, Juan James 40, Fayaad Daniels 23, Extras 23, Jordan Neill 21; Jonathan Muller 3/39, Khanyisile Nondwangu 2/22, Sicelo Matayi 2/32); Free State 66 (Foster Lubbe 18; Asakhe Tsaka 2/13, Cameron Fraser 2/15, Fayaad Daniels 2/24). Western Province won by 182 runs.

 Central Gauteng Lions 181 (Richard Seletswane 49, Siya Radebe 38; Aryan Gopalan 2/8, Romashan Pillay 2/27, Bonga Shezi 2/40); KwaZulu-Natal 121 (Evan Fouché 35, Ryan Jairaj 28, Extras 28; Kwena Maphaka 5/36, Christopher King 3/17, Liam Alder 2/19). Central Gauteng Lions won by 60 runs.

 Eastern Province 187 (Russell Petersen 49, Olwakhe Goqorza 41, Ashley Ostling 25; Tumelo Makume 3/29, Corné Prinsloo 2/32, Martin Bullock 2/32); North West 190/3 (Ludwich Schuld 119*, Dewald du Plessis 43). North West won by seven wickets.

 Boland 225 (Cormey van der Watt 66, Nathan Jacobs 53, Thando Prusent 25; Extras 23; Dirkie Theunissen 2/25, Salamon Nuuyoma 2/37, Alex Volschenk 2/37); Namibia Cheetahs 94 (JC Balt 26; Thato Msizi 3/22, Cormey van der Watt 2/4, Riley Norton 2/8). Boland won by 131 runs.

 Titans 224/9 (Divan Engelbrecht 39, Steve Stolk 35, Tristan Luus 32*, Mohammed Aslam 28, Morati Lefhiedi 20; Matthew Urquhart 4/39, Ross Boast 2/59); KwaZulu-Natal Inland 225/8 (Jason Muirhead 62, Jonathan van Zyl 43, Matthew Urquhart 35*, Jake Carstens 25; Safwaan Sujee 2/32, Divan Engelbrecht 2/52). KZN Inland won by two wickets.

 Northern Cape 247/7 (Ontlametse Kesiamang 102, Extras 41, Marno Coetzee 27, Kgotso Motlwai 26; Harry Makuleni 2/43); Kei 59 (Extras 18; Jody Barends 4/10, Tumiso Seetelo 2/4). Northern Cape won by 188 runs.

 Garden Route Badgers 128 (Zander Nel 41, Extras 34; Nsuku Mattye 5/19); Limpopo 84 (Ruben Vosloo 27; Ewald de Jager 4/12, Charl-Francois Marais 2/14). Garden Route Badgers won by 44 runs.

 Namibia Welwitschia 146 (Simon Sikongo 31; Suhail Patel 4/44, Curtleigh Koetzee 3/11); Mpumalanga 147/3 (Jayden Scholtz 55*, Hannes Feuth 52*; Addo Iita 2/11). Mpumalanga won by seven wickets.

 Border 172 (Bradley de Kock 40, Tre Gilbert 33, Extras 33; Adam Kruger 2/8, Liphumlo Mhlongo 2/32, Tristan van Schalkwyk 2/47); Easterns 174/6 (Kyle Enoch 43, Khayelihle Sithole 42*, Extras 25, Dewan Marais 22). Easterns won by four wickets.

 Friday’s fixtures:

Western Province vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland, Central Gauteng Lions vs Titans, Boland vs Eastern Province, Namibia Cheetahs vs Border, Free State vs KwaZulu-Natal Coastal, Mpumalanga vs Border Kei, Northwest vs Easterns, Garden Route Badgers vs Namibia, Welwitchias, Northern Cape vs Limpopo,