Limpopo (cricket team)

Limpopo Cricket Team, also called the Limpopo Impalas[1] are a former first-class cricket team from Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa. They played their home games at Modjadjiskloof Oval, Duiwelskloof.

When Cricket South Africa decided to expand the Provincial Three-Day Challenge in 2006, Limpopo were one of five provincial teams (along with Kei, KwaZulu-Natal Inland, Mpumalanga and South Western Districts) elevated to first-class status.

First-class history

Limpopo played eight first-class matches in the 2006-07 season, losing five and drawing the other three. They played seven matches in the Provincial One-Day Challenge, winning two and losing five.

Their highest score in each competition was made by Andrew Galloway.[2] In the first-class match against Free State he scored 127 off 123 balls in the first innings to help Limpopo to their highest score of 402 for 7 declared.[3] He finished the season with 421 runs at an average of 42.10, scored at a run-rate of 108.22 runs per 100 balls. The five matches he played in 2006-07 were Galloway's whole first-class career. In the one-day competition he hit 91 not out off 88 balls against North West.

The other prominent batsmen in the first-class matches were Pieter Haasbroek,[4] who scored 497 runs at 31.06, and Johannes Shokane,[5] who scored 437 runs at 36.41, including one century. In each case 2006-07 gave them their only first-class matches.

The two main bowlers were the pacemen Tumi Masekela,[6] who took 22 wickets at 24.18 and continues to play first-class cricket, and Sammy Letsoalo,[7] who took 22 wickets at 29.40 and subsequently played a few matches for North West.

Later history

In a competition that was itself of borderline first-class status, Cricket South Africa considered Limpopo's performance (and those of Kei and Mpumalanga) too weak to justify their place, and after one season, all three teams were omitted.[8] They have played no further first-class cricket.

Limpopo continue to play at sub-first-class level.[9] Since 2010-11 they have competed in the Cricket South Africa Rural League, inland division, a 50-over competition.[10] Their under-age teams compete in the annual inter-provincial tournaments.[11]

In August 2018, they were included in the 2018 Africa T20 Cup tournament.[12][13]

References
  1. “Historical provincial cricket clash”, Zoutnet (November 19, 2004).
  2. Andrew Galloway at Cricket Archive
  3. Free State v Limpopo 2006-07
  4. Pieter Haasbroek at Cricket Archive
  5. Johannes Shokane at Cricket Archive
  6. Tumi Masekela at Cricket Archive
  7. Sammy Letsoalo at Cricket Archive
  8. Colin Bryden, "Cricket in South Africa, 2006-07", Wisden 2008, p. 1338.
  9. Impalas put up spirited display against Uganda Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  10. "Other matches played by Limpopo". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  11. Limpopo teams
  12. "CSA launches expanded Africa T20 Cup". Cricket365. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  13. "Ghana and Nigeria set to join Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South African domestic sides in expanded Africa T20 Cup". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

External sources

Further reading
  • South African Cricket Annual – various editions
  • Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – various editions
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