The Silicon Valley Strikers beat the New Jersey Stallions in the final to claim the inaugural Minor League Cricket Championship title in the United States of America last week.
The tournament featured several South Africans – most capped at international, franchise or provincial level.
They played alongside and against many former and current international cricketers, including West Indian Sherfane Rutherford, New Zealand’s Corey Anderson, Sri Lanka’s Shehan Jayasuriya and Pakistan’s Sami Aslam.
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SA batsmen in Minor League Cricket
Former South Africa Under-19 batsman Willem Ludick, ex-Dolphins batsman Cody Chetty and former Knights batsman Obus Pienaar were among the highest run-scorers.
| Player | MLC team | Runs | Innings | Average | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|
| Willem Ludick | Houston Hurricanes | 471 | 13 | 47 | 144 |
| Cody Chetty | Hollywood Master Blasters | 470 | 15 | 43 | 107 |
| Obus Pienaar | St Louis Americans | 444 | 13 | 44 | 122 |
| Andries Gous | Seattle Thunderbolts | 399 | 14 | 40 | 135 |
| David White | East Bay Blazers | 394 | 14 | 30 | 115 |
| Luke Schofield | St Louis Americans | 332 | 11 | 33 | 123 |
| Shadley van Schalkwyk | Seattle Thunderbolts | 259 | 12 | 29 | 105 |
| Chad Bowes | East Bay Blazers | 217 | 9 | 36 | 118 |
| Slade van Staden | Houston Hurricanes | 209 | 11 | 23 | 107 |
| David Bunn | East Bay Blazers | 157 | 9 | 17 | 101 |
| Justin Dill | New Jersey Stallions | 150 | 11 | 30 | 99 |
| Corne Dry | Atlanta Fire | 108 | 10 | 27 | 171 |
| Dane Piedt | DC Hawks | 65 | 7 | 16 | 138 |
SA bowlers in Minor League Cricket
Former Proteas and Cape Cobras spinner Dane Piedt and former Knights seamers Shadley van Schalkwyk and Corne Dry were among the top wicket-takers.
| Player | MLC team | Wickets | Innings | Average | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|
| Corne Dry | Atlanta Fire | 30 | 16 | 14 | 7 |
| Justin Dill | New Jersey Stallions | 21 | 18 | 17 | 7 |
| Shadley van Schalkwyk | Seattle Thunderbolts | 20 | 14 | 16 | 5 |
| Rusty Theron | East Bay Blazers | 15 | 11 | 17 | 5 |
| Obus Pienaar | St Louis Americans | 13 | 14 | 21 | 7 |
| Joshua Kind | St Louis Americans | 12 | 12 | 18 | 8 |
| Dane Piedt | DC Hawks | 11 | 10 | 20 | 7 |
| Andries Gous | Seattle Thunderbolts | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| David Bunn | East Bay Blazers | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 |
Former Dolphins and Cape Cobras all-rounder Calvin Savage was meant to play for the Michigan Cricket Stars. His arrival, however, was delayed. The same occurred for Gauteng and Philadelphians seamer Carmi le Roux.