THE Coastal Welwitschia team was the overall winner of the APS u19 Cricket League that concluded in Windhoek on Friday.
The Welwitschias just pipped Windhoek Gymnasium to the title with a better net run rate after both sides remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.
Both teams won four matches, while their crunch encounter last Thursday ended in a draw.
With Welwitschia pace bowler Ben Shikongo in great form, Windhoek Gymnasium were dismissed for only 102 runs in their first innings.
Shikongo dismissed Gymnasium’s opening batsmen Bruwer and Michael Loubser for two ducks and kept the pressure up with regular wickets as Gymnasium struggled against his hostile pace bowling.
Henco Rieckert top-scored with 33 runs, while Dirk Theunissen scored 19, before the whole team was back in the pavilion for only 102.
Shikongo had brilliant bowling figures of five wickets for nine runs off seven overs, while Gerhard Lottering took two wickets for 17 runs.
The Welwitschias didn’t fare much better in their first innings, being all out for 137 runs.
Opening batsman Dian Neethling scored 31 and Scott Winborn 21, while Damon Wilmot took five wickets for 48 runs and Mel Theunissen three wickets for 27 runs.
Windhoek Gymnasium reached 44 for three wickets in their second innings when the match was called off for a draw.
On the final log standings, both teams finished on 18 points, but Welwitschia finished on top with a slightly better run rate.
Pro-Ed Academy and WAP finished third and fourth on 10 points each, while the APS Invitation team finished on four points and the Country Districts team on zero points.
Jan Izak de Villiers of Windhoek Gymnasium won the prize for the top batsman of the tournament with 359 runs at a strike rate of 89,75, while team mate Ramon Wilmot came second with 341 runs and Nicol Loftie-Eaton of WAP third with 262 runs.
Ben Shikongo of Welwitschia won the prize for the best bowler with 20 wickets at strike rate of 4,1, while Loftie-Eaton took 21 wickets at a strike rate of 8,38 and Wilmot 14 wickets.
Matthew De Gouveia of the Welwitschia team won the best fielder award while Nicol Loftie-Eaton won the best all-rounder reward.
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