The Junior Proteas are in peak condition, showcasing their red-hot form in a convincing 113-run win over Sri Lanka at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Friday, with Kwena Maphaka delivering another standout performance.
Since the Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe, and his team decided to integrate South Africa Under-19s into the professional circuit, the dominance of the Junior Proteas over their counterparts became inevitable. In just two seasons of competing in Cricket SA’s Division 2 Cricket against seasoned professionals, Kwena Maphaka and his teammates achieved notable success, clinching two Cricket SA trophies – the T20 Knockout in the last season and the One Day Cup earlier this season.
As a result, the ongoing Under-19 Cricket World Cup has seen South Africa reap the rewards of throwing the youngsters into the deep end as the Junior Proteas have mostly made light work of their opponents in this campaign.
The Junior Proteas are ripe and in red-hot form as they displayed on Friday with a 113-run victory over Sri Lanka at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom.
The triumph was led by the bowling sensation, Maphaka, as the 17-year-old secured his third five-for in the tournament, marking his fourth overall in Cricket World Cups.
Nevertheless, the team experienced nail-biting moments in their pursuit to defend a target of 233 runs. The hosts required a resounding victory to significantly boost their net run rate and surpass that of the West Indies, ensuring qualification for the semi-finals.
To initiate South Africa’s bowling innings, Maphaka started with a wicket maiden, dismissing Pulundi Perera for a duck and establishing the tone for the rest of the attack.
Continuing his impactful performance, Maphaka secured one wicket in each of his next two overs, claiming the dismissals of Sudun Waduge and Sineth Jayawardena (6 off 13).
Despite Maphaka’s effectiveness in his new ball spell, there were tense moments as the slip cordon, comprising Steve Stolk and Richard Seletswane, missed two straightforward catches.
Nevertheless, Maphaka remained relentless, completing a five-wicket haul by the time he concluded his spell, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 51/5.
Following Maphaka’s impactful stint, captain Juan James introduced all-rounder Riley Norton into the attack, aiming to dismantle Sri Lanka’s lower order.
Norton executed the plan effectively, securing figures of 4/28.
Final Scores:
South Africa: 232-8 (Lhuan-dre Pretorius 71, Steve Stolk 22, Sapun Waduge 1-28, Vishwa Lahiru 2-44)
Sri Lanka: 113-10 (Sharujan Shanmuganathan 29, Malsha Tharupathi 21, Kwena Maphaka 6-21, Riley Norton 4-28)
