United Cricket Club batsman Qaasim Adams returned to the Western Province team on Thursday, after completing a suspension for reportedly pointing a gun at team-mate Givon Christian last year.
Christian, who played against North West earlier this month, was unavailable for this week’s CSA Provincial 3-Day Cup fixture versus KwaZulu-Natal Inland in Cape Town due to tertiary education commitments.
University of the Western Cape Cricket Club team-mates Jesse Christensen and Mujaahid Toffar were also selected for the Newlands encounter.
File image: Mujaahid Toffar.
Thursday marked Toffar’s first-class debut. Christensen added a second cap after debuting against the same opposition, at the same venue, almost two years ago.
File image: Jesse Christensen.
Cape Town Cricket Club fast bowler Thando Ntini, meanwhile, was retained on the back of a relatively successful maiden first-class appearance in victory over North West.
“It was a good, steady start and Thando bowled with pace,” said Western Province head coach Paul Adams.
“The bowling attack as a whole complemented each other well. Mpilo Njoloza and Justin Dill bowled with accuracy, found the right areas regularly and put pressure on the opposition.
“When unleashed, Michael Cohen bowled several wicket-taking deliveries. Ntini also did not allow North West to bounce back and operated with pace.”
Cape Town Cricket Club’s Neo Mlumbi and Tygerberg Cricket Club’s Carlos Koyana were named in the squad, but omitted from the XI.
Western Province XI: Andre Malan (captain, Durbanville Cricket Club), Thando Ntini (Cape Town Cricket Club), Qaasim Adams (United Cricket Club), Jesse Christensen (University of the Western Cape Cricket Club), Mujaahid Toffar (University of the Western Cape Cricket Club), Justin Dill (Bellville Cricket Club), Jack Newby (University of Cape Town Cricket Club), Mpilo Njoloza (Brackenfell Cricket Club), Isaac Dikgale (Victoria Cricket Club), Junaid Dawood (University of the Western Cape Cricket Club), Michael Cohen (Western Province Cricket Club).