Impalas (cricket team)
The Impalas cricket team represented minor provinces in South Africa's domestic Benson and Hedges Night Series Trophy List A cricket competition for ten seasons between 1984-85 and 1993-94.
The Impalas initially represented the Border, Boland, Orange Free State and Griqualand West province teams. These teams played in the Castle Bowl South Africa's secondary first-class competition.[1]
Over the ten seasons the team usually finished in lowly positions in the competition table. However, in the 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1991–92 seasons, the Impalas reached the tournament semi-finals.
Border, Boland and Orange Free State all eventually provided their own teams for the competition and there was no need for the Impalas for the 1994–95 season.
In 2011–12 a new team was added to the MiWay T20 Challenge competition called Impi, to give opportunities to players who miss out on franchise selection. It competed only in the 2011-12 List A competition, going without a victory in 12 matches.[2][3]
Notable Impalas players
- Faoud Bacchus
- Kim Barnett
- Daryll Cullinan
- Allan Donald
- Claude Henderson
- Omar Henry
- Alvin Kallicharran
- John Morris
- John Stephenson
- Pat Symcox
- Emmerson Trotman
- Corrie van Zyl
- Paul Collingwood (Impi)
- Ryan Ten Doeschate (Impi)
- Luke Wright (Impi)
- Ben Edmondson (Impi)
- Beuran Hendricks (Impi)
- Khaya Zondo (Impi)
Honours
- Benson & Hedges Night Series (0) – Semi-finals 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1991–92
- MiWay T20 Challenge (0) – Last i.e. seventh in 2011–12
Venues
At first Impalas played all their matches away. Their home venues have included:
- St George's Park, Port Elizabeth (1985)
- Harmony Ground, Virginia (1986–87)
- Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch (1987–88, 1989–90)
- Victoria Ground, King William's Town (1988–89)
- PAM Brink Stadium, Springs (1992–93, 1993–94)
External links
- All List A matches played by Impalas Archived 2018-04-29 at the Wayback Machine at CricketArchive
References
- Benson and Hedges Cricket Year Fourth Edition - 1984-85 page 188
- New franchise in SA domestic T20 tournament – ESPN Cricinfo
- Wisden 2013, p. 1104.
Sources
- Benson and Hedges Cricket Year – various editions
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – various editions