Sam Heazlett, David Grant give NPS win in tight finish

In a game full of sharp turns and fluctuating fortunes, David Grant's four-wicket haul turned out to be the decisive factor in propelling National Performance Squad (NPS) to a nail-biting victory by 17 runs against South Africa A in the first match of the Quadrangular A-Team One-Day tournament in Townsville on Saturday (August 13).

Riding on Sam Heazlett's impressive 87-ball 101, NPS were able to recover from a rather dicey position of 120 for 5 to post a challenging total of 243 for 8 after being asked to bat. In reply, South Africa A were rocked by Grant dismantling their top order to slip to 88 for 7 - a position from where they couldn't recover.

It was Qaasim Adams (78), the Western Province middle-order batsman, who essayed a rumbustious knock and stitched a 99-run stand with Sisanda Magala (35) for the eighth wicket to raise hopes of the visitors clinching a cliffhanger. However, Matthew Short cleaned up Adams in the 42nd over and Grant, the most insistent bowler on show, induced Magala to edge one behind the stumps in the 44th over to put the home team in front.

Aaron Phangiso (13) and Dane Paterson (18) caused a few flutters in the NPS camp with an entertaining last wicket partnership of 34 before David Moody picked up his third scalp to dismiss the latter and helped the hosts kick-start their campaign on a bright note.

With a competitive score to defend, Grant, the South Australian medium pacer, scalped the cream of the opposition's batting line-up. Only Heino Kuhn (28) was able to weather the storm to some extent. Adams and Magala took them within sight of the target but they eventually fell short.

Earlier, Heazlett, who ended up with 649 runs in his rookie Sheffield Shield season in 2015-16 for Queensland, responded assiduously to wickets falling around him and strung together a 91-run stand with Arjun Nair (40), the all-rounder from New South Wales, to calm down the nerves in the camp. His innings was marked by solid defence, juxtaposed with sparkling stroke-play.

After crunching a superbly paced hundred, he was eventually dismissed in the 45th over, with Magala effecting the direct-hit to catch him short of the crease. However, as the Queenslander shifted gears to land crucial blows in the slog overs, NPS were able to collect 80 runs off the final 10 overs.

Sean Abbott, the captain of the side, also played his part with a late cameo (18 not out) to push the scoring rate along in the death overs. At the start of the day, Hilton Cartwright and Celeb Jewel had joined forces to give the hosts a decent start before Phehlukwayo and Magala, the Eastern Province medium pacer, picked up the key scalps of the openers.

Sam Harper (0), who came into the limelight after notching up a hundred against New Zealand Under-19 this year, didn't last long as he was prised out by Phehlukwayo. Short (17) offered some resistance and put on a partnership of 49 with Heazlett before he was castled by Phangiso. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler also snared the wicket of the Yorkshire-born wicket-keeper-batsman, Josh Inglis (0), to keep a lid on the scoring rate. Andile Phehlukwayo, the KwaZulu-Natal pacer, and Phangiso, the left-arm spinner, took two wickets apiece for the visitors.

Australia A will lock horns against India A in the second match of the tournament in Townsville on Sunday (August 14).

Brief Scores: National Performance Squad 243 for 8 in 50 overs (Heazlett 101, Arjun Nair 40; Aaron Phangiso 2-46, Andile Phehlukwayo 2-49) beat South Africa A (Qaasim Adams 78, Sisanda Magala 35; David Grant 4-31, David Moody 3-44) by 17 runs.