DOUBLE SUCCCESS FOR NCU GIRLS

With eight of the touring party unable to travel to the ground due to illness, the NCU were down to the bare bones with just eleven fit  players in each group. Sunday's venue was Bridgehouse College in Franschhoek – a truly magnificent facility with three cricket fields.

There was another hurdle for the young NCU sides to overcome - they did not expect to be facing the strongest wind blowing off the mountains that any would have encountered in a cricket match. Premier league Men's players would have struggled! Against this backdrop to come away with two wins was a fantastic achievement and the girls should be very proud of how they over came the challenges of the day.

In the first match the Under 16’s did well to restrict Boland to 146 with Katie West the destroyer-in-chief taking five wickets and Hannah Gordon two.

The NCU reply got off to a disastrous start with two run outs in the first two overs. However Katie West And Eva Willmott stabilised things with a fifty partnership until Katie was trapped lbw for 16.

Another wicket feel cheaply, but Lucie Harper with 17 and Laura Suffern an unbeaten 13 gave great support to  Eva Cupitt (43*) until victory was achieved.

In carrying her bat for her unbeaten 43 Eva was on the field of play for the entirety of the match – over five and a half hours – a truly Herculean effort from the youngster.

The Under 18’s match saw Rebecca Webster and Erin Mitchell get the innings off to a positive start putting on 43 for the first wicket. The position quickly changed with four wickets going down cheaply and at 73 for 5 the pressure was really on.

There then followed an extraordinary partnership of 165 between Niamh Lowry and Amela Hughes. Amelia was run out off the last ball of the innings for a run-a-ball 65,  while Niamh was undefeated on 100 off just 77 balls, going to her hundred with two reserve sweeps in the last over! Two superb innings by the two girls.

The Boland innings followed a similar pattern, early wickets for Vaneesa Minford, Erin Bond and two for Joscelyn Wright left Boland on 78 for 4. Daniels (68) and De Waal (46) then put on a century stand to bring Boland right into contention.

Both batters then fell in quick succession to Natalie Moore which effectively ended the game as a contest and the NCU ran out winners by 15 runs.

The contribution of everyone through the day was especially exemplary and the all should be very proud of their efforts on a day to remember for the region.

UNDER 16 SCORECARD

At Boland, NCU Under 16's beat Boland by 5 wickets

BOLAND
M Lee-Meyer b Gordon 20
Z Peterson run out 3
L Daniels b West 28
M van Schalwyk b Gordon 7
S Jantyies b Suffern 4
L Luck b West 14
A Britz b Kennedy 6
D Neetling b West 7
V Solomons b West 2
D Laas lbw b Wesy 0
C Williams not out 2
Extras 53
Total all out (33 overs; 146)

Bowling: O Morrow 4-0-17-0; E Bullick 3-1-7-0; M McCartney 8-0-40-0; H Gordon 4-1-10-2; N Kerr 4-0-14-0; L Suffern 3-0-13-1; K West 6-0-35-5; E Kennedy 3-2-5-1.

NCU UNDER 16
E Cuppitt not out 43
A Willmott run out 0
L Humphreys run out 2
K West lbw b Solomons 16
M McCartney ct Daniels b Laas 1
L Harper b Van Schalkwyk 17
L Suffern not out 13
Extras 55
Total (5 wkts, 24 overs) 147

Bowling: C Williams 3-0-14-0; L Luck 2-0-7-0; M Van Schalwyk 5-0-33-1; D Neetling 3-0-27-0; V Solomons 2-0-12-1; Z Peterson 2-0-12-0; D Laas 2-0-10-1; A Britz 5-0-29-0.

UNDER 18 SCORECARD

At Boland, NCU Under 18's beat Boland by 15 runs

NCU UNDER 18
R Webster ct Destro b Daniels 16
E Mitchell b Daniels 20
E Wilson b Daniels 15
N Lowry not out 100
E Bond b Destro 6
G Wilson caught b Destro 0
A Hughes run out 65
Extras 16
Total (5 wkts, 35 overs) 238

Bowling: De Waal 5-0-22-0; Julies 7-0-46-0; Daniels 6-0-43-3; Williams 6-0-40-0; Destro 5-0-35-2; Schuur 4-0-25-0; Groenwald 2-0-25-0.

BOLAND
T Nuggels ct Monaghan b Minford 9
W Mari-Ham ct Moore b Wright 10
M Sampson ct Lowry b Wright 1 
N Destroo b Bond 14
L Daniels ct Lowry b Moore 68
L De Waal ct Wilson b Moore 46
R Teshlynn c&b Minford 16
A Schuur ct Speer b Mitchell 3
E Groenwald not out 19
A Beantra not out 1
Extras 45
Total (8 wkts, 35 overs) 223

Bowling: V Minford 7-0-42-2; J Wright 4-0-37-2; E Bond 7-0-38-1; P Speer 7-0-32-0; E Mitchell 5-0-37-1; N Moore 5-0-30-2.