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200 up for Westcott as massive Mr X partnership crushes Gladiators

Sunday was a scorcher and the heat was on, especially on the pitch at Vryheid Cricket Club.

In the only official match that took place over the weekend, the Gladiators faced Mr X in a limited over 50 over match at Cecil Emmett Park.

Mr X won the toss and elected to bat first, sending in Sean Westcott and Jean Botha to open the batting for the side that shared the 50 over cup with Dumbe last season.

Kayla High faces Jaques Sander at the crease for Mr X.

In a tremendous partnership between Westcott and Botha, the pair racked up a colossal score of 366 runs, putting overwhelming pressure on the Gladiators as they went about smacking deliveries to the boundaries with seemingly effortless abandon.

Jaques Sander made the first breakthrough for the Gladiators bowling attack when he took the wicket of Jean Botha, who, by that point, had already put 157 runs on the board off 104 deliveries, including 29 fours and a single six. Botha was caught out by Hendrik Marais off the bowling of Sander.

Westcott continued his brilliant batting spell, raining boundaries for Mr X until retiring at 201 off 114 balls. In his innings, he sent the ball to the boundary 38 times, with 32 fours and six sixes.

Bonginkosi Mkhonza shakes Sean Westcott’s hand as he retires after putting 201 runs on the board for Mr X.

Gladiator, Cameran Aitken, took the wickets of Kayla High for 12 runs and Nathan Stride for a single run and Wessel Vorster took the wickets of Devin Aspden and Rossouw Greeff for 39 and 14 runs respectively.

The 50 over innings was enough for Mr X to reach an impressive 459/5 – a massive target for the opposition as the sun beat down on the pitch.

Devin Aspden faces a delivery from Gladiators’ Jaques Sander.

The Gladiators went in to bat and opener, Wessel Vorster retired hurt after scoring only two runs off six deliveries. Bonginkosi Mkhonza scored 24 runs, including four fours, before being caught and bowled by Clifford Dougherty.

Mkhonza’s double dozen was the Gladiators’ top score and, with the only other batsmen reaching double figures being Graham Haywood and Cameran Aitken with ten and 14 runs respectively, the Gladiators squad were all out for a mere 87.

It was vice-captain of Mr X, Clifford Dougherty, who did the most damage to the Gladiators’ batting line up as he claimed six wickets in his 5.1 overs, conceding only ten runs in his spectacular bowling spell.

Mr X won by 372 runs.

Also read: Cricket scores deliver stark contrast across the board

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