Western Province batsman Tony de Zorzi celebrates his double century during their Four Day Series game against the Knights at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Friday. De Zorzi ended the innings on an unbeaten 302 Western Province batsman Tony de Zorzi celebrates his double century during their Four Day Series game against the Knights at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Friday. De Zorzi ended the innings on an unbeaten 302. Photo: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town — Newlands has seen many fine innings over the years, but there have been few finer than Tony de Zorzi’s maiden triple-century for Six Gun Grill Western Province against the Itec Knights on Friday.
De Zorzi delivered a sparkling 302 not out – the third highest score by anyone since the advent of South Africa’s franchise cricket in 2004-05, and it sits only behind Stephen Cook’s 390 and Rilee Rossouw’s 319 – as he powered the home team to 575/7 declared.
The Western Province opener had resumed on 104 not out on Friday morning and quickly proceeded to tick off one milestone after another. The dreadlocked left-hander certainly enjoys batting at Newlands, with his previous first-class best of 213 not out, whilst playing for the Titans two years ago, also scored with Table Mountain as the picturesque backdrop.
De Zorzi initially had Yaseen Vallie for company with the pair adding a record 263 runs for the second wicket after WP opener Eddie Moore was dismissed without a run on the board on Thursday.
It was an epic partnership that was eventually brought to a close when Vallie was caught by Aubrey Swanepoel off Gerald Coetzee (4/117) for an equally brilliant 136 (193 balls, 15x4).
The loss of Vallie had no impact on De Zorzi though, with the 25-year-old showing off a much-appreciated hunger for wanting to really stamp his authority on the match.
De Zorzi, who is in a rich vein of form, struck 163 last week against the Rocks, but was determined to go even further this weekend when he realised the amount of time left in the game and the position of strength WP were in.
He was particularly quick to pounce on anything short, with one of his seven sixes being a sublime hook shot off an attempted bumper from Coetzee that sailed over the mid-wicket boundary and into the Railway Stand.
“I think it is a bit surreal, if someone had told me that at the start of the day that I would achieve this, I wouldn’t have believed them. I didn’t have eyes on it from the start of the day, so for it to happen to me, it’s very surreal and I'm grateful for the team and myself,” De Zorzi.
Province’s impressive seam attack, who routed the Knights for 111 in the first innings, completed a near-perfect day for the home side when Dane Paterson claimed the wicket of Matthew Kleinveldt with the last ball before the close, leaving the visitors trailing by 490 runs with nine wickets remaining.
IOL Sport
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