Durban – In a significantly truncated season, Hollywoodbets KZN Coastal made the most of their opportunity to finish their campaign with five wins from five including two three-day victories and three 50 over wins.
Coastal were pooled with Border, South Western Districts and Boland in a bio-secure environment (BSE) in Stellenbosch and were in good form throughout the two week period where they met South Western Districts in a three-day encounter, played all the sides in a 50 over match and then played Border in a final three day game.
In their first match against SWD Coastal managed to chase down a difficult 328 in the final innings thanks largely to a century from Marques Ackerman. Coastal snuck home in their opener by three wickets.
They then moved to white ball cricket where they continued where they had started with a 49 run win over Boland. Michael Erlank made 102 while Keith Dudgeon took 4/44 in a dominant display.
Coastal then faced neighbours Border in their second 50 over clash and after making 279 for six they bowled the Eastern Cape side out for 210. Jason Oakes was in the runs with 88 while Keith Dudgeon chipped in with an important 71. Smangaliso Nhlebela then produced a dominant display with the ball bagging 5/40 while Hlompo Modimokwane took 3/37. Coastal made it three wins from three when they beat Border by 69 runs.
In their third and final 50 over match Hollywoodbets Coastal beat SWD by 137 runs. Blayde Capell top scored with a maiden List-A century and then Matthew Pollard took 3/43 as Coastal bowled SWD out for 125.
The side left their most impressive performance for last when they dismantled Border in their final three day encounter.
Jason Oakes made 121 in their first innings as they amassed 361 in the first innings. They then, thanks to bowling performances by Smangaliso Nhlebela in the first innings and Keith Dudgeon in the second innings that saw Coastal bowl Border out for 161 and then just 16 in their second innings.
Nhlebela took 5/58 while Dudgeon was dominant with figures of 5/8 in the second knock. Ultimately the brilliant bowling display led to an innings and 184 run victory.
The second innings display meant that Coastal’s bowling performance, dismissing Border for 16, tied the record for lowest first class score in South African First Class cricket history.
Coastal coach Roger Telemachus was happy with how the side played given the circumstances leading up to the BSE.
“After such a long wait to get some cricket in I couldn’t be happier for the side,” Telemachus said. “The boys put together two weeks of brilliant cricket and their attitudes throughout were fantastic.
“There were some fantastic individual performances but as a whole the side was brilliant.
“To finish off with a performance like that was an awesome way to wrap up the season.”