Limpopo vs South Western Districts: the Badgers arrive in Polokwane as Limpopo look for a first point
Polokwane Cricket Club hosts a Pool A game in the CSA T20 Challenge on Monday, 5 October, with the first ball at 13:00 local time. Limpopo sit bottom of the pool with no points and are back on the same ground less than a day after another batting collapse. South Western Districts arrive with a win, four points and one real worry: the hamstring of the opener who set up that win.
Limpopo: one batter against everyone
The table is plain. Limpopo are 8th of 8 after two defeats, with a net run rate of -2.448. That figure tells you they have not been losing close games.
The defeat to Warriors at St George's Park on 29 September followed a familiar pattern. Chasing 175/4, Limpopo reached 140/8. Ernest Kemm made 63 off 48 balls and Christoffel Klijnhans 31 off 27, but nobody else stayed long enough to matter. Thomas Kaber's spin took 4/25 and ended the contest (Cricket Fanatics Magazine). With the ball, Marcello Piedt took two wickets but went for 38 in three overs, while Jordan Hermann scored 70 off 45.
Against Dolphins on 4 October things got worse. Kemm chose to bat on this ground and Limpopo were bowled out before the end of their 20 overs, which left the bowlers almost nothing to defend (Cricbuzz). Now they turn round and go again the next day. That is not much of a reset.
The selection keeps moving. For Dolphins, Liam Peters kept wicket and Raynard van Tonder and Kyle Landsberg played, while Shelton Ngobeni, Piedt and Keenan Vieira dropped out of the XI that faced Warriors. The squad for this match includes van Tonder, Thomas Mayes, Piedt, Peters and Ngobeni, so the batting order, the gloves and the seam attack could all change again (Cricbuzz).
A lot depends on the new arrivals. Kemm came from Easterns, Piedt from Tuskers and Abdallah Bayoumy from Western Province, while Emmanuel Motswiri and Ludwig Kaestner have left (Club Cricket SA). Kemm is captain, top scorer and a handy bowler (1/10 in two overs against Warriors). He can't also bat at Nos. 4 to 7.
South Western Districts: a strong start and an injured opener
The Badgers' only game so far went to plan. In Oudtshoorn on 1 October they made 182/4 against Border and held them to 143/9. They are fourth in Pool A, with a net run rate of +1.950.
Janneman Malan, who captained that game and is named captain again, put on the early runs with Yaseen Valli. Valli made 62 off 42 balls before retiring hurt with a hamstring strain (Mossel Bay Advertiser). Losing him did not cause a collapse. Slade van Staden finished on 52 not out off 33, and debutant Ross Coetzee helped keep the scoring rate up (SA Sports Press).
Valli's fitness is the main team news. If he plays, a sore hamstring will affect how he runs between the wickets. If he misses out, SWD lose the opener who has just given them their platform. The good news for them is that the batting has been rebuilt around Malan, van Staden, Modise Maloka and Coetzee, with Leo Sadler adding an all-round option, so it is not a one-man line-up (George Herald).
The bowling worked well too. Enathi Kitshini's spin went for just 12 runs in three overs and took two wickets. Banele Cele took 2/23, and Sadler chipped in. Border never built a partnership long enough to settle the chase. That matters here, because the Limpopo batting has just been taken apart by exactly that kind of spin.
Spin, Kemm and a quick turnaround: how it looks
The key contest is clear. SWD's spinners squeeze the middle overs, and Limpopo have just lost to a spinner who did the same. If Kemm goes early, the home innings has little to fall back on. If he bats deep, Limpopo still need someone to stay with him, which has not happened in either of their games.
The conditions should not change much. The forecast is mild and overcast with little sign of rain, and this is an afternoon start, so evening dew should not affect the choice at the toss (Yandex Weather). Limpopo know the ground well after playing there the day before. Their decision to bat first against Dolphins did not work, but the problem was the batting, not the call.
The market agrees: South Western Districts at 1.57, Limpopo at 2.42. That makes the Badgers clear favourites, though not overwhelming ones. I see it the same way. SWD have more batters who can score runs, a spin attack suited to this opponent and a few days' rest. Limpopo have home advantage and a captain in form. If Valli is fit, the gap gets bigger. If he isn't, it is still there.
