WHS Old Boys won the T20 Premier League title after beating Wanderers by four wickets in yesterday’s final.
In a thrilling match Old Boys seemed to be cruising to the title after Wanderers had set a winning target of 143 runs, but a spate of late wickets gave Wanderers renewed hope, before Old Boys reached the winning target off the last ball of the match.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Wanderers reached a competitive 142/8 off their 20 overs.
JC Balt top-scored with 51 off 46 balls, which included seven fours, while Waldo Smith scored 24 and Niko Davin 19 runs.
Fopr Old Boys, Dylan Leicher took two wickets for 35 runs, Adriaan Coetzee took 2/17 and captain Shaun Fouche 2/13.
In reply, Old Boys got off to a solid start with Adriaan Coetzee and Morkel Malan sharing an opening stand of 51 off 44 balls, before Bernard Scholtz bowled Malan for 13.
Fouche joined Coetzee and kept Old Boys on track with a 67-run partnership and when he was dismissed for 27, Old Boys were well on top needing 25 runs for victory with eight wickets and 20 balls in hand.
The mercurial Scholtz, however, had other ideas, turning the match on its head with four quick wickets.
He dismissed Malan Kruger for 7, Coetzee for a top score of 76 (off 54 balls, 6×4, 4×6), Dylan Leicher for 11, and Jandre de Jager for 2 to leave them teetering at 141/6 with two balls remaining.
A single from Jack Brassell however tied the score, before Luca Micillo got the winning run off the last ball of the match to clinch a nailbiting win for Old Boys.
Scholtz who almost won the match single-handedly, had a great return of five wickets for 25 runs off 24 balls, of which 13 were dot balls.
Old Boys’ triumph saw them reclaiming the T20 title from Wanderers, while it completed a consistent season during which they finished second on the log with four wins and two defeats.
In the semifinals on Saturday they comfortably beat CCD Tigers by eight wickets after dismissing CCD for 126 all out and then reaching the target with eight wickets and five overs in hand.
CCD’s top batters were Ramon Wilmot (33) and Donovan Zealand (24), with Abner Siseso and Adriaan Coetzee both taking 2/23; while CCD’s top batters were Malan Kruger with 80 not out off 39 balls (11×4, 2×6) and Shaun Fouche with 35 not out off 36 balls.
United, however, were the big losers of the competition. They finished on top of the log after winning five of their six group matches, but then lost by 22 runs to Wanderers in the semifinals.
Wanderers scored 157/4 with JC Balt contributing 88 off 65 balls (8×4, 3×6) and Karl Birkenstock 32, while United could only reach 135/8 with WP Myburgh scoring 66 off 54 balls (7×4), and Nyasha Nyashadzaishe taking 3/26.
Old Boys’ opener Louren Steenkamp was the top batter of the series with 332 runs at an average of 83,00, while JC Balt of Wanderers was second with 223 runs and WP Myburgh of Trustco United third with 205 runs.
Adriaan Coetzee of Old Boys was the top bowler with 13 wickets, while Ruben Trumpelmann of United was second with 10 wickets and Shaun Fouche of Old Boyus third with nine wickets.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
