Van Schalkwyk’s century leads SA to victory
He scored 164 off 156 balls to earn SA a consolation victory in the three-match series.
Opener Jorich van Schalkwyk scored an unbeaten 164 to secure SA victory in the final game of the three-match Youth ODI (YODI) against Bangladesh at Willowmoore Park on July 22.
The right-handed Titans batsman scored his ton off 156 balls, which included 14 boundaries and four maximums, to anchor the hosts to a 14-run consolation victory on the Duckworth-Lewis System (DLS) method after bad light stopped play in the 45th over.
The record-breaking Van Schalkwyk also smashed the highest-ever individual score by an SA U19 player, breaking Jacques Rudolph’s unbeaten 156 off 140 deliveries against Nepal in the Youth World Cup in 2000.
With the ball, seamer Ntando Soni took a man-of-the-match six-wicket haul. However, Bangladesh still managed to register 320/9, the highest score of the series, anchored by half-centuries from their top order batsmen Zawad Abrar, Rifat Beg and Kalam Aleen.
Chasing 321 for victory, SA lost Adnaan Lagadien (10) to Shahria Al-Amin early but Van Schalkwyk and Muhammed Bulbulia rebuilt excellently, stitching 181 for the second wicket, with Bulbulia contributing 62 off 67 for his second half-century of the match before being caught and bowled by Al-Amin.
Co-captain Jason Rowles’ (five) cameo ended when he was caught by Beg off Azizul Tamim. Vihan Pretorius (18) joined schoolmate Van Schalkwyk at the crease before the game was called off with SA at 277/3, ahead on DLS.
Earlier, Bangladesh, which had already won the series after winning the first two matches, won the toss and chose to bat.
The Asians made a positive start as Abrar and Beg shared 97 for the first wicket. But Soni ended the partnership with Abrar’s wicket.
However, Beg and Aleen anchored the visitors to 222, sharing 123 for the second, with Beg top scoring with 86 of 107. Aleen contributed a brilliant 85 off 78, studded with 12 fours and a single maximum.
Abrar fell to Soni, while Bandile Mbatha dismissed Aleen.
Soni wrestled back control on the backend of the innings with the wickets of Abrar, Tamim (29 off 19), Rizan Hossan, Md Abdullah and Md Rafi Uzzaman to end on 6/65.
Frontline seamer, JJ Basson, got the wicket of Al-Amin, and Bayanda Majola had Farjan Alif caught by Van Schalkwyk as Bangladesh’s innings ended on 320/9.
Ntando Soni took six wickets.
SA spinner Enathi Kitshini.
Jorich van Schalkwyk.
Bangladesh’s Md Alif.
The Bangladesh bench congratulates Rifat Beg after reaching his half-century.
