18 Dec Molefe And Cowling Star As Lions Triumph At U16 Girls Week
PIETERMARITZBURG: Emerging talent, Neo Molefe and Fay Cowling played a leading role to lead Lions Cricket to the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Under-16 Girls Week crown when the tournament concluded in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.
Molefe was named cricketer of the week (and batter of the week) whilst Cowling made all-rounder of the week. The pair was instrumental with bat and ball, helping the Lions side seal four wins out of five with one match being abandoned on account of the summer rain in the KwaZulu-Natal capital.
Easterns and Free State also enjoyed unbeaten runs, but they had to settle for second and third respectively on the final table.
The week, which involved 50-over action over the first three days, began with a thumping 363-run triumph for Lions over Garden Route Badgers – a match in which Neo Molefe struck a phenomenal unbeaten 175, a score that proved to be the biggest individual effort of the competition.
Her effort helped Gauteng amass 427 for six, before Cowling, who also struck 72, claimed four for three to blow away Badgers for 64.
There were also wins for Shreeya Subbiah-inspired KZN Coastals, she took four for three, Free State, Western Province, Titans Cricket, Easterns and Northern Cape on the opening day. NC had a big performance from R Gabobonwe (6/30) in their surprise 39-run win over hosts KZN Inland.
After the wet Midlands weather washed out the entire day two, day three yielded another mammoth win for Lions with the same two players again starring, this time against Western Province.
This time Cowling top scored with an unbeaten 109 and Molefe was two runs behind with her 107 not out that helped the Lions amass 281 for two. Their Cape opponents could only muster 125 all out in reply, conceding a 156-run loss.
FS, meanwhile, maintained their 100 percent record by overcoming KZNC and Easterns did the same by trumping Northern Cape by 256 runs thanks to a fine century by Ashleigh van Wyk (148).
Other teams to win on the third day of action included Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Titans, Boland and EP, for whom Danica Marais claimed a remarkable seven for 40 in a three-run win over KZNI.
Day four saw teams shift focus to T20 cricket and Cowling continue to inspire Gauteng by scoring an unbeaten 54 in a four-wicket win over Boland.
The form continued for Free State and Easterns too as they overcame NC and Limpopo respectively, while WP were comfortable winners over the Titans. Coastals won the KZN derby by beating Inland, KEI beat Mpumalanga and North West edged Badgers by one run on the DLS Method as rain returned.
Lions then capped an outstanding week by beating previously unbeaten Easterns on the final day when Cowling’s 48 not out lead them to a five-run win, ensuring they ended the week as the top Girl’s U16 team.
For Media Enquiries, please contact Alungile Nyakambi on alungilen@cricket.co.za or 084 204 3689.
ENDS
Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications
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