The Franchise T20 cricket series ended in dramatic fashion on Sunday with the NPL Bears just pipping the Pupkewitz Wildcats to the title on net run rate.
Both teams finished on eight points with four wins each from six matches, but the Bears had a better run rate of 0.99 compared to the Wildcats’ run rate of -0.40. The Eavion Eagles came third with six points, while Paratus Jets came fourth on two points.
Going into the final round of matches on Sunday, the Bears, Wildcats and Eagles were all still in the running to win the title, but the Bears snatched it at the end after a resounding 52-run victory against the Eagles.
After electing to bat, the Bears lost the early wicket of WP Myburgh for three runs, but the rest of their top-order batters made solid contributions. Niko Davin scored 46 (5×4, 2×6), Lohan Louwrens 65 (3×4, 4×6), and Gerhard Erasmus 60 off 28 balls (3×4, 5×6) as they posted a formidable 196 for four wickets off their 20 overs. Karl Birkenstock was the Eagles’ best bowler, taking 2/19.
In reply, the Eagles’ opening batter Michael van Lingen scored 41, but received little support as wickets fell all around him. JC Balt scored 13, JJ Smit 18, and Ruben Trumpelmann 15 as they slumped to 111/8, before Sibusiso Maseko added 26 down the order as the Eagles posted 144 all out to hand the Bears a comprehensive victory.
Shaun Fouche took three wickets for 30 runs for the Bears, while Bernard Scholtz took 2/33 and Handre Klazinga 2/35.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, also piled on the runs in their final match against the Pupkewitz Jets but, in the end, it was just not enough. They scored 197 for six wickets and then restricted the Jets to 173/8 to win the match by 24 runs.
JP Kotze (30), Malan Kruger (22) and Dylan Leicher (25) laid a solid foundation for the Wildcats before Michael Muller and Leo Sadler put them in charge with a sparkling 92-run partnership at just over 10 runs per over. Muller was eventually run out for 49 off 33 balls (5×4, 2×6), while Sadler scored 56 off 27 balls (4×4, 4×6).
In the Jets’ innings, Zacheo van Vuuren scored 36, Nicol Loftie-Eaton 21, Marcus Bakker 27 and Jan Izak de Villiers a top score of 39, but no one could build a big enough score as they fell 24 runs short of the target. Leicher was the Wildcats’ best bowler taking 4/27, while Sadler took 2/38.
Gerhard Erasmus was the top batter of the series with 242 runs at an average of 48.40 and a highest score of 134 not out, followed by Dylan Leicher of the Wildcats with 219 at an average of 73.00 and a top score of 73, and Jan Frylinck of the Wildcats with 218 runs at an average of 36.33 and a top score of 75.
Leo Sadler of the Wildcats was the top bowler with 13 wickets at an average of 11.77, followed by Dylan Leicher with 11 wickets at an average of 14.18, and Gerhard Erasmus with 10 wickets at an average of 11.40.
Erasmus was also the top-ranked player overall with 676 points, followed by Leicher with 613 points and JJ Smit of the Eagles with 539 points.
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