Wanderers, CCD march on 

Wanderers remained at the top of Cricket Namibia’s 50-over Premier League log after recording their fourth successive victory, while CCD crushed Trustco United after a brilliant bowling spell by Ben Shikongo in matches over the weekend. 

On Sunday, Wanderers comfortably beat Windhoek High School Old Boys by seven wickets in a low-scoring match. 

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Old Boys got off to a poor start after losing their first three wickets with only 18 runs on the board. 

Nyasha Nyashadzaishe removed JP Kotze and Gerhard Janse van Rensburg, both for two runs, while Karl Birkenstock dismissed Shaun Fouche for four runs. 

Zane Green joined Malan Kruger and put on a 37-run fourth wicket partnership, but Wanderers spin bowler Danie van Schoor made a major breakthrough when he dismissed Green and Zacheo van Vuuren within four balls. 

He bowled Green for 24 which came off 31 balls (3×4) and four balls later dismissed Van Vuuren for a duck, as Old Boys were pegged back to 55/5. 

It got worse as Tommy van der Merwe struck with three quick wickets, dismissing Riaan Minnie (1), Faf du Plessis (0) and Donovan Zealand (0) as Old Boys slumped to 60/8. 

Opener Malan Kruger was still at the crease and led a spirited revival with Tangeni Lungameni as they put on 67 runs for the ninth wicket. PD Blignaut got the breakthrough, bowling Kruger for 62, which came off 73 balls (4×4, 1×6), and when Bernard Scholtz bowled Lungameni for 27, the whole team was out for 129.

Van der Merwe was Wanderers’ best bowler taking three wickets for 16 runs, while Nyashadzaishe took 2/32 and Van Schoor 2/29.

The target was never a problem for Wanderers as their openers JC Balt and Niko Davin put them on course for victory with a 79-run partnership. 

Davin was the first to go, dismissed by Shaun Fouch for 38 off 40 balls (2×4, 2×6), while Balt was trapped lbw by Lungameni for 41 off 52 balls (4×4, 2×6). 

Lungameni also bowled Van Schoor for 2, but Wanderers captain JJ Smit continued their onslaught and led them to victory with 30 not out off 33 balls (3×4, 1×6). 

On Saturday, Trustco United crashed to an eight-wicket defeat against CCD after a brilliant bowling performance by Ben Shikongo. 

He bowled Francois Steyn for a duck off the fourth ball of the match, and although Tatenda Sithole offered a bit of resistance, Shikongo tore through United’s batting lineup with a great spell of pace bowling. 

Sithole was the only batter to reach double figures, before he was dismissed by Mauritius Ngupita for 18, but Shikongo cut down the rest as United crashed to 34 all out. Shikongo ended with amazing figures of eight wickets for 16 runs off seven overs. 

In CCD’s innings, Stephen Baard (0) and Simon Shikongo (4) went cheaply, but Joshuan Julius and Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who both scored 13 not out, took them to a comfortable victory. 

Wanderers now lead the log on 16 points from four matches, followed by CCD on 12, WHS Old Boys on eight and Trustco United on zero points.