Cubs Week : Day 3
TITANS 283/8 ( Bala 53 , Ferreira 43, Twala 38, De Swardt 32) ( Du Plessis 3/50 , Gobeni 2/43 , Cohen 2/47)
COBRAS 218 ( Gobeni 61 , Vasconcelos 45 , Christensen 40) ( De Swardt 4/36 , Patel 3/36)
KNIGHTS 167 ( Ridgaard 67, Van Tonder 42) ( Moriarty 3/17, Smith 2/29)
SA U17 143 ( Maupa 2/18)
DOLPHINS 172 ( Grobbelaar 57*) ( Molefe 4/17, Mokgoro 2/24)
LIONS 173/6 ( Miltz 90*) (Koen 2/21 , Gilson 2/33)
WARRIORS 256/6 ( Breetzke 79 , Lookwhy 70 , Sholton-Douglas 34*) (Madhevere 4/34)
ZIMBABWE 105 ( Niemand 2/14, De Klerk 2/15, Sholto-Douglas 2/15, Krweqe 2/20)
POOL A
Lions 13
SA U17 Inv 5
Knights 4
Dolphins 4
POOL B
Titans 15
Warriors 9
Cobras 4
Zimbabwe 0
Before going into this tournament I would have said that Matt Breetzke , Chris Schreuder, Raynard Van Tonder , Jade De Klerk, Akhona Mnyaka, Gerald Coetzee were shoe-ins because they had good u19 School Weeks and were still eligible for 2018 U19 CWC.
Breetzke has backed up u19 School Week performances with the bat but the two Free State stars (Schreuder , Van Tonder) haven't at Cubs after impressive school weeks. To me they were the best 3 bats going into the tournament.
De Klerk has produced with his spin but Gobeni, Molefe, Smith and Moriarty have been impressive to and all qualify for 2018. Gobeni will definitely make the squad as an all-rounder I feel eventhough De Klerk, Smith, Moriarty are SA u19 spinner incumbents.
Mnyaka had a good first game at Cubs after making SA Schools at 17. Coetzee had a good all-round game first up with his pace and batting but injured his back and hasn't played since. Both qualify for 2018.
Remaining batsmen & keeper/batsmen
Jarred Alder , Mitchell Van Buuren (SA u19) have had two decent weeks with the bat but their age may go against them.
Jesse Christensen (SA U19) , Jason Niemand, Sinethemba Qeshile , Jean Du Plessis all qualify for 2018 and still have a chance to make the SA u19 squad with ok performances over both weeks.
Ricardo Vasconcelos (SA u19), Wandile Makwetu (SA u19), Josh Van Heerden (SA u19) have been disappointments.
16 year-old Lions keeper, Jacob miltz, has probably been the find with the bat of Cubs Week.
The seam bowling is interesting. Opening bowlers :
COBRAS : William Sendin (18) , Michael Cohen (18)
WARRIORS : Lutho Sipamla (18) , Akhona Mnyaka (17)
DOLPHINS : Eathan Bosch (18) , Tyron Koen (19)
KNIGHTS : Gerald Coetzee (16) , XXX
LIONS : XXX , XXX
TITANS : XXX , XXX
SA U17 : Thando Ntini (16) , Fraser Jones (16)
Those are the pick of them so I would imagine it would come from them although first change seamers like Tiaan Du Plessis, Siphamandla Krweqe, Reabetswe Mokgoro have done well at the Cubs Week but at this level stats aren't everything and surely the best will be opening the bowling. Of the opening bowlers Sipmala has gone to play mens cricket so probably not available for selection whilst Sendin , Bosch have played SA u19s before but they may look to 2018 qualification with Mnyaka , Coetzee, Ntini, Jones
Luckily cricket isn't as bad as the rugby where the Bulls/Sharks can't produce their own but wouldn't surprise me if there is a few offers in for Breetzke and Sipamla.
