Trustco United went to the top of the T20 Premier League log after beating WHS Old Boys by 13 runs on Saturday.
It was their second successive win to put them two points clear of WHS Old Boys and CCD on the log.
The defending champions Wanderers, however, have had a disastrous start to the league, losing their opening three matches and are now rooted to the bottom of the log.
After electing to bat, United lost WP Myburgh for 14 runs, but the rest of their top order batters all made solid contributions.
Gerhard Janse van Rensburg scored 46 off 36 balls (7×4, 1×6), while Erich von Mollendorff and Zane Green shared an unbroken 85-run partnership for the third wicket to take them to a sizeable 169/2 off their 20 overs.
Von Mollendorff remained not out on 45, which came off 35 balls (4×4, 1×6), while Green remained not out on 48 off 28 balls, which included two fours and five massive sixes.
In reply, Old Boys got off to a confident start with Louren Steenkamp and Zacheo Janse van Vuuren putting on 49 runs for the opening wicket, but national pace bowler Ruben Trumpelmann swung the momentum United’s way with two wickets in two balls, bowling Van Vuuren for 25 and dismissing Shaun Fouche for a golden duck.
Steenkamp went on to score 31 while Malan Kruger spearheaded their revival, but United tightened their grip with regular wickets. Kruger went on to score 56 off 33 balls (1×4, 5×6), but he received little support, while Trumpelmann got another two wickets off successive balls to restrict Old Boys 20 156/9.
Trumpelmann had a great return of five wickets for 25 runs, while WP Myburgh took 2/26.
Wanderers, meanwhile, suffered their third successive defeat, losing by eight wickets to CCD.
After being sent in to bat, CCD got off to a solid start as Joshuan Julius and Ramon Wilmot put on 52 for the opening wicket before Julius was caught and bowled by PD Blignaut for 38.
Nicol Loftie-Eaton joined Wilmot and kept the momentum going with a 44-run partnership before JJ Smit bowled Wilmot for 38.
Further down the order, Jan Izak de Villiers got two wickets off two balls, bowling Junior Taanyanda for 6, and Nicholas van der Colff for a golden duck, but Loftie-Eaton remained undefeated on 50 off 30 balls (4×4, 2×6) as CCD reached 128/4 off their 20 overs.
It was not much of a total, but CCD’s bowlers cut through Wanderers’ top and middle order to leave them in deep trouble at 45/7.
Michau du Preez started a revival, scoring 27, while PD Blignaut added 15 and Waldo Smith 19 at the tail end before the whole team was out for 107.
CCD’s top bowlers were Ben Shikongo, with three wickets for 12 and Saalomon Nuuyoma with 3/13, while Zhivago Groenewald took 2/26.
United now lead the log on four points from two matches, followed by Old Boys and CCD on two points each, while Wanderers are bottom of the log and yet to open their account.
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