UWC bagged their first win of Varsity Cricket, upsetting the high riding UP-Tuks by 16 runs at the Puk Oval.
In a game where both teams struggled for runs, UWC did just enough to hand UP-Tuks their first defeat of the tournament after they sailed through the first two rounds.
UWC’s opening partnership of George Banda and Ashley Cupido got off to a comfortable start posting 27 runs after the first five overs. UP-Tuks then finally made their first breakthrough when Ruben Classen got Cupido caught behind in the eighth and then Banda in tenth as UWC were sitting on 47/2 after ten overs.
With two new batsmen at the crease, UWC continued at just over five runs an over before they lost their third wicket when Lesiba Ngoepe was dismissed by Jacques Snyman in 15th with UWC only posting 75 at that stage.
UWC lost another two wickets in the next five overs courtesy of UP-Tuks’ Vincent Moore with Jason Smith’s unbeaten 35 off 34 balls helping the men from the Cape get a total of 113/5 in the 20 overs, Claasen was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/15 in his four overs.
With a relatively easy run chase UP-Tuks also had the advantage being awarded five runs at the start of their innings after claiming a wicket in UWC’s powerplay plus over. After the first five overs they were going well over a run a ball with opening pair Aiden Markram and Murray Coetzee giving their team a total of 32/0 after five overs.
The game then turned on its head in UP-Tuks’ powerplay over in the seventh when both Markram and Coetzee were dismissed by Reeve Cyster adding another ten runs to UWC’s total.
With the required run rate steadily increasing in the next five overs,UP- Tuks the suffered another major setback in the 13th over losing Gerry Pike with a run out and then Snyman caught behind off the very next ball from Jason Smith.
At the end of the 19th over Tuks were 100/5 after losing Heinrich Klaasen and needed 24 off the last over, which ultimately proved too much in the end, finishing on 107/6.
Scores:
UWC: 123/5 (J Smith 35, A Cupido 20; R Claasen 2/15, V Moore 2/22)
UP-Tuks: 107/6 (J Wessels 25, A Markram 18; R Cyster 2/22, J Smith 1/16)
Teams:
UP-Tuks: Murray Coetzee, Vincent Moore, Ruben Claassen, Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Gerry Pike, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Johan Wessels, Jacques Snyman, Corbin Bosch, Bantu Dandala.
UWC: Dean Mazhawidza, Jason Smith, Lizaad Williams, Imraan Hendricks, Reeve Cyster, Curtley Louw, Zain Webster, Ashley Cupido, George Banda, Lesiba Ngoepe, Jean Heunis.
