The Proteas Veterans finalised their preparations for the Over-50 Cricket World Cup with a victory against the USA on Saturday, but it was a lot closer than they would have liked.
The visitors, some of who only arrived in the country on the morning of the game, won the toss and elected to bat first at the picturesque Reddam Constantia school.
The Proteas’ opening pair of Alan Dawson (5-1-9-0) and James Albanie (5-1-12-2) were all over the batsmen in the early stages, with the latter picking up the first two wickets as the USA slumped to 9/2 after five overs.
However, a 74-run third wicket partnership between Fazal Alam and Sajith Fernando put them back on track, with Alam in particular looking impressive on his way to 60 off 72 balls.
Grant Jansen (1/26 in 7) finally got the breakthrough before Lefty Ngece (2/26 in 6) and Saleem Mukuddem (2/18 in 5) tightened the screws, bowling the USA out for 150 in the 39th over.
The Proteas’ chase never really got going with wickets falling at regular intervals. Mukuddem top scored with 23, but in the end it was the 41-run eighth-wicket partnership between Dawson (21*) and Goolam Taliep (20) which got the hosts over the line, reaching the target with two overs to spare.
So a win to go into the 2023 Over-50 World Cup, which will again be sponsored by Evergreen Lifestyle, but Louis Koen and his team will know they’ll have to play a lot better when they face India in the opening game on Monday.
About Evergreen Lifestyle
Established in 2008, Evergreen Lifestyle is South Africa’s premium retirement brand with seven operating villages in the Western Cape and Gauteng, and a further six in the pipeline. The business began with a vision to change the retirement landscape in South Africa, offering a partnership for life based on five key pillars: physical security, financial peace of mind, continuous care, a sense of community and exceptional hospitality.
You’ll find Evergreen’s award-winning retirement villages in the most beautiful parts of the country, at the end of sun dappled country lanes, perched on majestic mountain slopes, and within walking distance of our beaches, rivers, and wetlands. And you’ll find vibrant fun-loving communities enjoying the finer things in life – like good food, great company, lasting friendships, and a sense of belonging that is enabled by the resort style facilities and amenities on offer.