After a strong and promising start to the Cricket South Africa Division 2 Four-Day competition, the Garden Route Badgers have lost momentum, suffering their second consecutive defeat over the past weekend.
In a crucial encounter against the Flexbrand Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Yaseen Valli and his side went down by seven wickets, with more than a day of play to spare.
The Badgers, who won their opening three matches in convincing fashion, now face a tough challenge in securing a place in the final. Their hopes of hosting a home final will depend on the Knights and Eastern Storm failing to collect maxi-mum points in their remaining pool fixtures.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Badgers made a steady start as Yaseen Valli (31) and Ruan Terblanche (31) added 62 runs for the opening wicket. However, a middle-order collapse stalled their progress.
A valuable knock of 68 off 78 balls, including nine fours, by Liam Alder helped the Badgers reach a modest total of 194 all out. Veteran seamer Malusi Siboto (4/33) was the standout bowler for the Knights.
In reply, the Knights were restricted to 171 all out, giving the Badgers a slender first-innings lead of 23 runs. Newcomer Merrick Brett, on loan from the Titans, delivered an outstanding bowling performance, claiming 5/25 in 15,1 overs.
The turning point of the match came on Friday afternoon when the Badgers struggled with the bat in their second innings, collapsing to 121 all out. Knights’ fast bowler Johann van Dyk was in superb form, finishing with figures of 6/28.
Chasing a target of 144, the Knights survived an early scare at 55/3 before an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 91 between Ruan Haasbroek (51) and Richard Maree (35) guided them to victory.
Despite the defeat, the Badgers remain at the top of the log with 89,6 points after five matches. The Knights are second on 79,76 points after four matches, while Eastern Storm are third with 75,02 points, also after four matches.
The Badgers’ final pool match will be against Eastern Storm in Oudtshoorn, starting on 29 January. Given the current standings, an outright victory will be required for the Badgers to secure a place in the final.
Summary of scores:
Garden Route Badgers 194 all out (Liam Alder 68, Yaseen Valli 31, Ruan Terblanche 31; Malusi Siboto 4/33, Seth Fledermaus 3/50, Johann van Dyk 2/46) and 121 all out (Yaseen Valli 38, Merrick Brett 26; Johann van Dyk 6/28, Malusi Siboto 2/21) Knights 171 all out (Patrick Botha 59, Malusi Siboto 28; Merrick Brett 5/25, Banele Cele 2/40, Pheko Moletsane 2/6) and 146/3 (Ruan Haasbroek 51, Richard Maree 35, Gihahn Cloete 34) Knights won by seven wickets.
Garden Route Badgers beaten again despite strong start
Merrick Brett.
Photo supplied