Wanderers go top after beating Welwitschia

WANDERERS beat Welwitschia by 25 runs at the Sparta ground in Walvis Bay on Saturday to go to the top of the 50-over Cricket Premier League competition.

In a clash of the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the league, Wanderers scored 247 for six wickets off their 50 overs, and then reduced Welwitschia to 222 for eight wickets to secure their victory.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Wanderers got off to a steady start, but Welwitschia pegged them back with some early wickets.

Karl Birkenstock was run out for 22, Wessel Myburgh scored 12 and Jan Frylinck 27 as Wanderers reached 80 for three wickets.

Veteran all rounder Nicolaas Scholtz and JJ Smit, however, put them in the driving seat with a century partnership, as they put on 109 runs for the fourth wicket.

Scholtz was the first to go, for a top score of 66 which came off 82 balls and included six fours, before he was caught off Ettiene Beukes’ bowling.

Smit went on to score 41 before he was dismissed by Gerhard Lottering, while Sheron Rossouw scored 25, Pieter Rossouw 8 not out and Tiaan Gerber 18 not out as Wanderers reached a total of 247 runs.

Lottering, with two wickets for 53 runs, and Mathew Stander with 2/63 were Welwitschia’s top bowlers.

Welwitschia lost the wicket of Dian Neethling early on for four runs, but Rana Waqas scored 31 and Shalako Groenewald 23 as they reached 73 for four wickets.

Lottering and Matthew de Gouveia revived their innings with a 73-run fifth wicket partnership, before Lottering was out for 52 off only 53 balls that included five fours.

Justus Hangala joined De Gouveia and kept their hopes alive with a 56-run partnership, before Birkenstock got the breakthrough, dismissing De Gouveia for 58.

Hangala remained not out on 28, but he received little support and Welwitschia eventually fell 25 runs short of the target.

Birkenstock with two wickets for 53 runs and JJ Smit (2/20) were Wanderers’ best bowlers.

In another close encounter, CCD Tigers beat Trustco United by 21 runs at the United field.

Sent in to bat, CCD reached 200 for eight wickets and then dismissed United for 179 to seal their victory.

CCD got off to a poor start, losing their first three wickets for only 27 runs, but Pikky Ya France put them back on track with a superb century.

He put on 47 runs with Rene Were (19) and then shared a century stand with Norbert Manyande, putting on 106 runs for the fifth wicket.

Ya France was eventually out for 100 which came off 138 balls and included seven fours and two sixes.

Manyande was out for 31 as they reached 200 off their 50 overs.

Christopher Coombe was United’s best bowler, taking four wickets for 43 runs.

United lost Hendrik van der Walt early on for one, but the rest of their top order batsmen weighed in with valuable runs to keep them on track.

However, only Danie van Schoor managed to build a sizeable total, scoring 62 which included five fours and one six, while the next best score was 24 by Dickson Vambe, and United were eventually all out for 179.

Ya France completed a fine all round performance by taking three wickets for 25 runs off 10 overs.

The match between Namibia u19 and WHS Old Boys was cancelled due to the junior boys’ exams.

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