Wanderers lost the battle but won the war when they finished on top of the 50-over league on Saturday.
Wanderers lost by 20 runs to Windhoek High School Old Boys, which put both teams at the top of the log on 16 points, but Wanderers clinched the top spot with a far better nett run rate of 1,6348 compared to WHSOB’s -0,1981.
That put them through to next weekend’s final, while Old Boys will now still have to play a semifinal playoff match between the second and third placed teams to make the final. They will face Trustco United who beat CCD by seven wickets on Sunday.
On Saturday, a great fourth wicket partnership of 171 runs between Malan Kruger and Dylan Leicher put Old Boys on track to victory.
After being put in to bat by Wanderers, Old Boys got off to a hesitant start, losing their first three wickets with only 38 runs on the board.
JJ Smit made the early breakthrough, running out Zacheo Janse van Vuuren for 11 with a direct hit; and then having Shaun Fouche caught behind for a golden duck; and when Nyasha Nyashadzaishe trapped Louren Steenkamp lbw for one, Wanderers were in command.
Kruger and Leicher, however, turned the match around with a great partnership of 171 off 202 balls to take the total to 209, when Bernard Scholtz finally got the breakthrough, bowling Leicher for 87 which came off 113 balls and included eight fourds and one six.
Further down the order Adriaan Coetzee added 12 and Jack Brassell 16 not out, but Kruger was the mainstay, scoring 138 not out off 138 balls (9×4, 3×6) as Old Boys reached a sizable 281/5 of their 50 overs.
Nyashadzaishe was Wanderers’ best bowler, taking 2/44 off eight overs.
In reply, Wanderers lost Tiaan van der Merwe early on for two runs, caught and bowled by Old Boys’ Ugandan pace bowler Juma Miyagi, while Jan Frylinck was dismissed for 26 and Michau du Preez for seven, to restrict them to 3/69.
JC Balt and JJ Smit revived their innings with a 43-run partnership, but Leicher got the breakthrough, dismissing JC Balt for 33 and Waldo Smith for a duck to restrict Wanderers to 116/5.
Smit continued to lead Wanderers’ revival, but Old Boys upped the pressure with regular wickets.
Smit was eventually dismissed off Adrian Coetzee’s bowling for 85 off 79 balls (4×4, 6×6), while PD Blignaut and Karl Birkenstock added 21 each, as Wanderers were all out for 261, to fall 20 runs short of the target.
Miyagi was Old Boys’ best bowler, taking 3/25, while Brassell, Coetzee and Leicher each took two wickets.
On Sunday, Trustco United beat CCD by seven wickets ito book a place in next weekend’s semifinals.
CCD were all out for 248 but United comfortably reached the target for the loss of three wickets with 10 overs to spare.
Nicol Loftie-Eaton was CCD’s star batter, scoring 148 off 130 balls (17×4, 4×6), while Josue Celliers added 42. For United, Ruben Trumpelmann took 3/39, and William Lottering 3/36.
United’s openers WP Myburgh (111 not out) and Gerhard Janse van Rensburg (67) set them on track with a 144-run opening wicket partnership.
Donovan Zealand made the breakthrough, dismissing Janse van Rensburg and Zane Green (1) within six balls, but Myburgh, Erich von Mollendorf (30) and Ruben Trumpelmann (30 not out) took them to a comfortable victory.
United will take on ATG WHS Old Boys next Saturday for a place in Sunday’s final against Wanderers.
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