The KFC Mini-Cricket
kids of Malvern Primary School secured a heroic 1 run win over the Proteas in
the penultimate match of the KFC Mini-Cricket vs Proteas Tour, meaning either
side has the chance to win the series in the final match!
Winning the toss and
electing to bowl first, the Proteas, led by David Miller, took to the field
confident that they could wrap the series up with a win in this match and
secure the all-important bragging rights as overall victors.
The enormity of the
occasion was not lost on the young captain of the KFC Mini-Cricket team, Xavier
Elliot, who partnered by Suvarn Rampersad, got off to a cautious start as they
looked to build a measured innings up front.
This start paved the
way for playmaker Laveshan Govender to come to the crease and cut loose,
something that David Miller and Kyle Abbott got to experience first had as the
young batsmen dispatched them to all parts of the ground with ease and grace.
With the run rate
escalating nicely, Kevin Van den Berg and Matthew Bosch showed a similar lack
of interest in the reputations of the well-known Proteas bowlers, putting bat
to ball with alarming regularity. This prompted Proteas captain Miller into
bringing on his secret weapon, Imran Tahir, who spun a web of confusion around
the rampant batsmen, slowing the progress of the home side.
The run respite was
brief though, as once Tahir was finished, the kids continued to pile on the
runs with Proteas bowlers Nadine Moodley and Lizelle Lee going for more runs
than they would have hoped for.
Shabnim Ismail was
entrusted with bowling the difficult final over, something she did with great
success, stifling the scoring of both Uyapha Mathalane and Zackery Gerber. By
that stage, the runs were however already on the board so to speak, and the
Proteas found themselves needing to chase the daunting total of 74 runs in the
allotted 8 overs.
Having done so well
with the ball, Imran Tahir was chosen to open the batting with Chloe Tyron,
facing up to opposition captain Xavier Elliot. From the start the bowling was
tight and determined, with Matthew Bosch maintaining the pressure created by
his captain’s opening burst.
With things not
looking too encouraging for the Proteas, Lizelle Lee came to the crease, hot
off her player of the tournament accolade in the recent T20 triangular against
Pakistan and Ireland, and looking determined to get her team back in the game.
Ably partnered by Nadine Moodley, the seasoned campaigners put the KFC
Mini-Cricket kids under pressure, running hard, and keeping the scoreboard
ticking with each ball.
This then set the stage
for Proteas captain David Miller to come to the crease and in signature style,
close the game out with some lusty blows. He started out in just this vein,
with some huge shots out of the ground, unraveling the young bowlers who tried
hard to counter his strength and skills, but sadly had no answers to them.
Batting in the place
of the injured AB de Villiers, Lizelle Lee batted for a second time joining
David Miller at the crease. Needing 21 runs from the last two overs, the KFC
Mini-Cricket kids needed someone to step up and save the day. That someone was
Kai Landman, a talented young bowler that the Proteas could just not get away.
Uyapha Mathalane followed his lead at the start of the final over, and within
the space of a few balls, the pressure was suddenly back on the Proteas, who
despite having star players Miller and Lee at the crease, needed 5 runs from
the last two balls.
Chaos then ensued with
Miller being run out off a wide while trying to steal two runs, the eventual
result being that the Proteas needed 3 runs off the final ball. Young Uyapha
ran in again, and with nerves of steel, fired the ball towards Miller, who
could only manage a single, and with that the KFC Mini-Cricket kids of Malvern
Primary had beaten the Proteas by 1 run!
In almost sheer
disbelief, the kids all went crazy when the umpires signaled the end of the
match, with the spectators swarming around them in excitement.
It was a famous day
for all involved at Malvern Primary, with the home team’s coach, Nathan Viktor,
saying that he believes this match will do wonders in inspiring more and more
kids at the school to get active with KFC Mini-Cricket in
future.
School principle Alan
Galvin, said that when he was in primary school, he, like his young learners,
used to dream about playing against his heroes. Only difference being that the
kids got to live their dreams on this day, making it a day that everyone will
remember for a very long time.
Onto the final match
of the KFC Mini-Cricket vs Proteas Tour we go, and with the incredible comeback
the KFC Mini-Cricket kids have staged in this series while getting active
against their heroes, it is anyone’s guess who will come out as the ultimate
victors.
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