Khaya Zondo celebrated his selection for South Africa's T20 squad for their tour of India with a superb knock in the opening game of Pool B at Senwes Park on Friday evening. His innings of 68 off just 49 balls set KwaZulu-Natal Inland up for a big total that in the end enabled them to collect a valuable bonus point as well with a 35 runs victory over hosts North West.
"Getting a run of T20 matches this weekend is just what I need to prepare myself for the tour," commented Zondo. "When you are in form you simply have to cash in."
Zondo said that batting had been quite difficult up front against the left-arm spinners on a slow pitch and he said North West had read the conditions well. "I just tried to work singles as I was batting with left-handers at that stage and I thought they had a better chance to go for the big hits."
He also praised his final partner, Ruan Pretorius, who took charge with some big hitting in the final three overs. "Ruan didn't play a single dot ball and this helped to give us the momentum to go on the attack in those final overs."
For good measure he cashed in with two wickets in what turned out to be the final over of the innings and the match.
Zondo played an innings of great maturity in laying the foundation for a big score and then combining with Ruan Pretorius to turn it into a reality.
The new Protea came to the crease in the second over and batted through to the penultimate ball of the innings. By then KZN Inland had put a more than competitive total of 172 on the board. For most of the innings Zondo was prepared to knock the ball around at the rate of a run a ball as two of the three left-arm spinners employed by North West, Aaron Phangiso and Bjorn Fortuin, kept a tight rein on proceedings.
There was not much hint of what was to follow when the visitors reached 109/3 after 17 overs. At that stage Pretorius had made a circumspect 13 off 12 balls and Zondo 43 off 42 balls.
That turned out to be a true lull before the storm as Pretorius scored 38 off his remaining 11 balls, including four sixes and a four. In addition to this he managed to run a lot of two's on the substantial outfield. The 18th over produced 17 runs, all off the bat of Pretorius, who also scored 19 of the 24 runs in the 19th over. This included three enormous sixes, either straight or to deep midwicket, off his North West namesake, Dwayne Pretorius.
The final over belonged to Zondo who hit two fours and two sixes, was then caught off the fifth before Pretorius finished the innings with a two to reach his half-century.
Zondo contributed 68 off 49 balls (6 fours and 2 sixes) and Pretorius an unbeaten 51 off 23 balls (1 four and a six) and their partnership was worth 87 off 41 balls.
The inexperienced North West attack was rather exposed in the final onslaught.
North West were always up against it when they began their runs chase and, although their run rate in the first 10 overs, was fractionally better than that of KZN Inland, they were losing too many wickets with the result that the required run rate soared above 12 to the over.
They had one card up their sleeve in Dwayne Pretorius and he did his best to put them back into the contest with his innings of 40 off 27 balls with 1 four and 4 sixes. But once he was dismissed, the writing was on the ball and their total of 137 was one shy of denying the visitors an important bonus point.