Champions and Superstars to face-off in “final” of Cubs Week
STELLENBOSCH. – It is not an official final but the clash between the Northern Champions and the Southern Superstars will serve as a de facto final for this year’s Cubs Week.
The two sides have remained the only unbeaten sides since the conclusion of the second day of the tournament, and both have accumulated 18 points thus far.
The winner of the clash will, therefore, be crowned the champions of the Cubs Week. The Northern Champions are the defending the title, but they almost slipped up against the Western Legends today.
The Champions experienced some tense moments as they scraped through by 11 runs against the composite team from the Free State, North West and Northern Cape. The defending champs would’ve preferred to have a few more runs on the scoreboard after closing their innings on 230/4 from their 50 overs.
Lukas van Rensburg (63) and Divan de Villiers (57) helped their side to move their total past 200, thanks to a 111-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
The Legends’ pacemen, Jonathan Muller (3/50) and Christopher Ford (3/42), shared six wickets between them, but it was the spin bowlers that kept the run rate low. Dakalo Leketa (2/31) was the pick of them.
The losing team’s captain, Muhammed Bulbulia (61), combined with Ludwich Schuld (63) for a 104-run partnership for the second wicket. If one of those two players had managed to press on, the Champions would’ve suffered their first defeat.
What made Schuld’s innings especially impressive was the fact that he had to leave the field during the Champions’ innings because he was feeling unwell.
Leketa (26) almost got his side across the line with the bat, after an implosion, as he shared a 36-run partnership for the last wicket with Olefa Padi (15*).
The Champions’ spin bowlers, Jorich van Schalkwyk (4/39) and Parth Patel (3/44), caused most of the damage. Marcus Bakker (1/26), also a spin bowler, dialled up the pressure on the Legends by conceding only 26 runs off his 10 overs.
The Coastal Conquerors‘ Hayden Bishop (121) recorded his second century of the tournament to help his side to their first victory of the Cubs Week. They defeated the Eastern Warriors by five wickets on the Coetzenburg Oval.
Bishop shared a 178-run partnership for the third wicket with his Kearsney College team-mate Ross Coetzee (51). He faced 140 deliveries in his innings and dispatched 15 of them past the boundary rope. Two of them were maximums.
The Southern Superstars’ Kashief Joseph (71) and Johan Wege (55*) laid the foundation for victory with an opening partnership of 118 runs to help their side to a nine-wicket bonus-point win over the Central Gladiators.
The Gladiators mustered only 154 runs before being bundled out. Siya Radebe (50) and Jaydon Brooker (28) were the only batsmen who managed to keep the runs flowing.
The Superstars utilised their spin bowler Enathi Kitshini (2/17) in tandem with Raeeq Daniels (4/28) to open their attack. Kitshini tied down the Gladiators’ batsmen, while Daniels knocked them over.
Summarised Scorecards
Eastern Warriors 215 (Jean Upman 39, Extras 24, Jacques van der Merwe 23, Tré Gilbert 22, Luphelo Mdyesha 21; Shahzaad Perumal 2/38, Ross Coetzee 2/39); Coastal Conquerors 220/5 (Hayden Bishop 121, Ross Coetzee 51; Sibusiso Mxube 2/51). Coastal Conquerors won by five wickets.
Northern Champions 230/8 (Lukas van Rensburg 63, Divan de Villiers 57, Dumisani Motshwene 44, Extras 21; Christopher Ford 3/43, Johnathan Muller 3/50, Dakalo Leketa 2/21); Western Legends 219 (Ludwich Schuld 63, Muhammed Bulbulia 61, Dakalo Leketa 26; Jorich van Schalkwyk 4/39, Parth Patel 3/44). Northern Champions won by 11 runs.
Central Gladiators 154 (Siya Radebe 50, Jaydon Brooker 28; Raeeq Daniels 4/28, Enathi Kitshini 2/17, Callum Appollis 2/19); Southern Superstars 155/1 (Kashief Joseph 71, Johan Wege 55*; Tjaart Mentz 1/19). Southern Superstars won by nine wickets.
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