After three scintillating days of Varsity Cricket action it is clear to see for any cricket lover who is shining in the Potchefstroom heat or wilting like plants under the blazing sun.
Teams such as Kovsies and UCT have picked up cricketing sunburn after some painful losses, while the Madibaz and UWC could still have a shot at a semi-final place if results go their way. At this stage, the top three teams are Pukke, UP-Tuks and Maties, with UJ the dark horses as the other teams need to play catch up this Thursday.
Match 1: UWC vs UCT at NWU Puk Oval (09:30)
UWC will take on UCT in a Bellville versus Cape Town battle in the morning with a win crucial for both sides. UCT started the tournament strongly with a win but have faded away against quality batting lineups. UCT’s strength definitely lies in their opening partnership of Jack Newby and captain Taariq Chiecktey and they will rely on these two to give them a good start. Zubayr Hamza and Adrian du Toit will be UWC’s trump cards in this match.
Match 2: UJ vs Kovsies at Ibbies Oval (09:30)
UJ should fancy themselves against a Kovsies team who are having a real up and down tournament without consistency. A win for UJ might just give them enough confidence to outwit Tuks in their evening match later on in the day. Kovsies’ star with the bat has been Wihan Victor and his unbeaten 94 against Maties will be talked about back in Bloem. Kovsies need to get their pride back and what better way than to upset UJ today.
Match 3: UCT vs Madibaz at Senwes Park (14:00) TV
The first TV match of the day will features two sides with a point to prove, more so the Madibaz who has shown glimpses of brilliance but not enough to harken any ideas of a playoff spot. One problem for the Madibaz has been their batting with Vian Maritz their highest scorer with 75 runs at an average of 37.5. Maybe it is time for Matthew Christensen to step up and get a big score. He owes his team that much.
Match 4: Maties vs UP-Tuks at NWU Puk Oval (14:00)
This will be the big clash of the day as heavyweight Maties and Tuks come to blows in Potch. Expect a batting master class from both sides and a high scoring affair. Maties have the talented Jean Bredenkamp at their disposal who is the leading run scorer with 151 runs at an impressive average of just over 50. Fritz de Beer has an average of 67 and will trouble the Tuks bowlers. Tuks themselves look good with Thomas Kaber and Tony de Zorzi leading the way. Both teams are in great form with Maties still unbeaten. Question is can they beat the champions?
Match 5: NWU Pukke vs Kovsies at Ibbies Oval (14:00)
The home side has been on a mission since the tournament started and they will look to keep the train rolling on the Ibbies Oval. Their match last night against UWC was not a cakewalk and exposed the middle order to much needed pressure and time in the middle. Pukke’s fielding will also need to improve and against Kovsies they will need to beware the underdog. Kovsies on the other hand will really need to dig deep and let their spinners such as PJ du Plessis and Sean Whitehead control things. Likewise, Kovsies should look out for Dyllan Matthews and captain Wihan Lubbe’s spin magic. Matthews is the leading wicket taker with eight wickets at an average of 7 and a brilliant economy of 4.66.
Match 6: UJ vs UP-Tuks at Senwes Park (18:00) TV
The main event of the evening will surely get the blood boiling in Gauteng as a traditional Johannesburg-Pretoria showdown will be broadcast live on SuperSport from Senwes Park. UJ must win this to stake their claim for a semi-final spot, while Tuks will want to keep momentum and show their champion mentality. Keep a lookout for UJ’s Neels Bergh and Ryan Rickleton, as well as Tuks’ Craig Kirsten and Kaber with the ball.
By Wouter Pienaar
The post Temperatures will rise as battle for semi-final places heats up appeared first on .