Africa-Press – Namibia. WANDERERS and CCD Tigers got off to winning starts when the new 50-over league got underway over the weekend.
Wanderers, strengthened by their national World Cup stars JJ Smit, Michau du Preez and Karl Birkenstock, beat the defending champions WHS Old Boys by four wickets at the Wanderers field in Pioniers Park, while CCD beat Trustco United by 36 runs at the United field in Olympia.
At the Wanderers field, Old Boys won the toss and elected to bat, but were soon in trouble when Donovan Zealand was dismissed for a duck. Malan Kruger and Wesley Anderson steadied the ship with a 31-run partnership, but Wanderers spinner Danie van Schoor struck with two wickets off successive balls, dismissing Malan for 18 and Anderson for 15, with the total on 45.
Dian Jacobs and JP Kotze revived the innings with a 76-run partnership before Birkenstock dismissed Jacobs for 24, and when Van Schoor bowled KC Griffiths for one shortly after, the total stood at 124/5.
Kotze took charge of the bowling, scoring 83 from 90 balls (7×4, 2×6), while there were also good contributions from Christo Bronkhorst (20), Nico van Staden (15) and Zacheo van Vuuren (12) further down the order as Old Boys reached 219/9 off their 50 overs.
For Wanderers, Van Schoor took three wickets for 39 runs off 10 overs, while Dewald Nell took 2/31 and Nicolaas Scholtz 2/27. In Wanderers’ innings, Tangeni Lungameni bowled Niko Davin for 14, and when JC Balt (29) and Danie van Schoor (11) were dismissed in quick succession, they were struggling at 59/3.
Zealand bowled Birkenstock for 13 and with the total at 98/4 the game was still wide open. Du Preez, however, joined Smit to put Wanderers in charge with a 90-run partnership.
By the time Smit was dismissed for 64 off 71 balls (4×4, 2×6), they only needed 32 runs for victory, and Du Preez took them to the target scoring 60 not out off 56 balls (4×4, 1×6).
For Old Boys, Lungameni took 2/29 and Zealand 2/51. At the United field, Joshuan Julius guided CCD to victory with a fine century. After being sent in to bat, CCD lost Norbert Manyande (11) and Jaden Cloete (4) early on, but Julius steadied the ship with a defiant knock.
He however received little support as the wickets continued to fall around him, with the only other batsmen to reach double figures being Robbie Kashimbulu (12), Lucian Bampton (14) and Albert Mbwembwe (10).
Julius, however, remained steadfast at the other end to reach his century, while he remained not out on 101 off 127 balls (5×4, 1×6) as CCD were all out for 197 off 49,4 overs. For United, Lohan Louwrens took five wickets for 51 runs off 10 overs, while Damon Coetzee took 4/28 off 8,4 overs.
United’s top-order failed to get going as Hendrik van der Walt (7), Wian van Vuuren (5) and Justin Baard (15) all went cheaply, and when JW Visagie was dismissed for one and Henry Hayes for eight, United were struggling at 73/5.
Louwrens and Dickson Vambe put them back on track with a 51-run partnership, but Norbert Manyande made the breakthrough, trapping Louwrens lbw for 48, with the total at 124.
Vambe added 44 and Coetzee 12 not out but they could not come close to the target as they were all out for 161 off 40 overs, to give CCD a 36-run victory. Manyande took four wickets for 28 runs off nine overs, while Elton Ambambi took 3/35 off seven.
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