Former Free State, Knights and South Africa Under-19 seamer Corne Dry has won one of four Most Valuable Player awards after the inaugural edition of the Minor League Cricket Championship in the United States of America ended late last week.
Dry played for the Atlanta Fire and took 30 wickets in 16 innings at an average of 14 and economy rate of seven. He also hit 108 runs in 10 innings at an average of 27 and strike rate of 171.
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“The southern division MVP, Dry, helped the Atlanta Fire to the division title,” read a statement from USA Cricket.
“Dry led the southern division in wickets. The South African also offered rapid late-order runs for the Fire.
“The MVP awards were selected based on player performance throughout the season. The data reviewed included raw metric statistics recorded from each match.
“It also took into account league-wide player impact rankings that calibrate the contributions of each player to adjust for key factors that impact performance.
“Critically, utilising ball-by-ball data, these rankings factor in the impact of the pitch surface (artificial or natural turf) on batting and bowling.
“They also account for the value of each individual contribution in a match situation, allowing for a holistic analysis of performance.”
2021 Minor League Cricket Championship MVPs
- Southern division: Corne Dry (Atlanta Fire)
- Eastern division: Christopher Barnwell (Empire State Titans)
- Central division: Ryan Scott (Michigan Cricket Stars)
- Western division: Hammad Azam Golden State Grizzlies)
The Silicon Valley Strikers won the 2021 Minor League Cricket Championship, overcoming the New Jersey Stallions in the final.
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.
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 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.